Legend of the Harp Episode I: Birth of a Jedi
by Hemaccabe
Summary: The story of a Jedi who is Knighted just before the Clone Wars begin who must face this turbulent era and how he handles the many difficult challenges that lie ahead.
1. Chapter 1

(Author's Note: Disney and Lucasfilm have lately been playing fast and loose with what is and is not canon. I feel that gives me, a humble fan fic author, some license as well. For me, the MOST canon components of the saga are the three original movies. They are the most mutually consistent of all Star Wars properties and they are my most beloved. Other components of what Disney and Lucas Films consider canon have major continuity errors, specifically the Prequel Trilogy. Of those errors, the most painful for me are those relating to blaster technology and the clone army.

There are consistent indications throughout the Original Trilogy that blaster technology is still something very new in the galaxy. Despite that, the prequel trilogy demonstrates far more advanced blaster tech than what we see in the Original Trilogy, which makes no sense. Why would blaster technology have declined in the period between the prequels and the originals? This is a major continuity error. What would make far more sense and what would be far more mutually consistent would be for blaster technology to be brand new in the Clone Wars, with blasters being able to be fired over greater ranges and to much more deadly effect than previously known primitive weapons but requiring long reloading times and complex, expensive maintenance. One imagines a sci-fi Three Musketeers, Last of the Mohicans or Gettysburg.

Next there is very little reflection on what it means to create a clone army. I suspect Lucas got off on the idea of tweaking the noses of fans who had always assumed that the clones would be the bad guys. I further suspect he didn't spend much time thinking about the fact that using a clone army would be a moral abomination. Creating a Clone Army is tantamount to using child soldiers in a slave army. Those Clones were denied any childhood or freedom. In addition, because of their rapid growth, the Clones would likely experience a host of health issues as they rapidly aged and died. If one described this behavior before any war crimes tribunal, it would be considered a crime against humanity, or as they might say in the Star Wars galaxy, "Crime against all sentient species." One would reasonably expect the guilty parties to face death ala the Nuremberg trials. As one watches the Clone Wars episodes, one sees an almost perfect silhouette of the issue in the form of Clone deserters, traitors and Barriss Offee among other indicators. All things one would expect to see if there was enormous controversy about the idea of using clone soldiers. All while the issue itself never seems to come up, like a sin that dare not speak it's name. This maintains some continuity, yes, the question is never spoken aloud, but it's effect is accurately portrayed. The one error is chips in the head.

The sin of using clone soldiers who have been raised from birth to be perfectly obedient and genetically modified to be more compliant, then sent into combat when likely only about 8-10 years old and having had no opportunity to broaden their experience is karmically repaid in order 66. No chips necessary. Natural consequence of evil, unethical behavior realized.

Let me be clear, I have actually warmed to the idea of the clone army as it makes a lot of sense in the context of the story. It explains why the Jedi Order was so ineffective. As the war dragged on, the Jedi became ever more morally compromised by their complicity in the crime of clone soldiers and they became ever more internally broken and externally reviled. What I am not happy about is that the issue is never stated directly. It should have been the elephant in the room in every moment of the Clone Wars. Further, the idea of chips in the head is absolutely unnecessary and hides the issue, breaking the continuity.

I write my story assuming these things had been done properly. I assume my story will make sense to any Star Wars fan even without this explanation, but I hope this clarifies any questions that will come up later.

Small new note as of 7-22-17, the operators of this site, in their infinite wisdom, have decided to have their system erase the marks, fairly standard in the industry, showing change of perspective. This means I am going back through this entire novel and re-inserting new, less likely to be arbitrarily erased, change of perspective marks and re-publishing, rather than writing and creating new stories.

I will try and use this time for a new level of copy editing as I can never seem to get out every error, but I promise, I'm doing my best.

I dedicate this story my nephews Shmuel and Baruch, the Jedi of a new generation.)

 **Legend of the Harp**

 **Episode I: Birth of a Jedi**

 **Chapter 1: Hero of Plynth**

*** Jedi Knight, Furin Kazan, Jedi Temple, Coruscant ***

I have decided to sit down and briefly write out my memoirs as I sit in my quarters here in the Jedi Temple for what may be the last time and will certainly be the last time for some time.

My recruitment to the Jedi Order was actually done in quite a typical way. I was born on the home world of my civilization, but, as an infant, my parents moved our small family to an agrarian colony world.

Our civilization sits at the far edge of the Galactic Core or the near edge of the mid-rim, depending on how generous one wants to be in description. Yes, I'm going to stop now, mid-memoir, and do something as pedantic as explain basic galactic cartography. In the region most commonly colloquially called the Known Galaxy, the Galactic Core is a region toward the core of the galaxy where many of the oldest, most powerful and wealthiest civilizations reside. They enjoy the benefits to trade of having many potential partners close to hand, with distances between solar systems much closer than they are typically further out, along with a greater density of well mapped hyperspace lanes and established trade protocols. The Mid-Rim is, essentially, a sphere outside this inner core, not quite so well positioned, not so far out. The Outer Rim is the outer edge of civilized known space. That doesn't mean there aren't some well-developed civilizations in the Outer Rim of the galaxy, Kamino, for example, but they tend to be at the end of long journeys, in the middle of nowhere.

Since the Republic represents the core worlds most closely, it's quite shocking that a loose coalition of Outer Rim planets can fight us so well. I'm sure the way the Separatists caught us so completely by surprise had something to do with it.

My own civilization's home world would be just barely within a spatial definition of the Core, if the Core were a perfect sphere, but since it requires a painfully long series of awkward jumps due to the lack of well mapped hyperspace jump routes, she sits more practically in the near mid-rim.

Our civilization was established several hundred years before I was born. We were predominantly human. The original settlers were an offshoot of another civilization, composed mostly of Bio-Genetic engineers who believed that they could perfect the human genome and build better people. The practice of genetic modification of sentient beings had been outlawed in our parent civilization for fear that if unsuccessful, could result in horrifically deformed people who would suffer or if it was successful, could cause unbearable social and racial tensions. Despite these fears, our founders were determined to try, though they mostly proved the process was not terribly practical.

As will be clear when I describe my schooling, despite being a typical product of this effort, I'm hardly a superman. While we don't have wisdom teeth, I have never been able to verify most of the other claims to nebulous advantages. One area we are different is coloring. Most humans in the galaxy fit within a pink to black coloring scheme. Our founders apparently decided we should look like wood. It was supposedly in an effort to make us tougher and more hardy. I've never found myself unusually resistant to puncture or bruising. My father had light tan colored hair and oak colored skin. My mother's skin was the pitch black of teak with a dramatic fall of red hair. Either could have probably passed for mainstream human. I was a mid-way compromise, with skin the color of red mahogany and hair of forest green. My parents would never leave the friendly confines of our home civilization while I, with very distinctively strange coloring, would get to bear the burden for the rest of my life. The Force has quite a sense of humor.

I suspect that the failure to achieve more remarkable results is why our civilization has been able to have a rapprochement with our parent civilization. While my civilization's founders were once hunted as criminals, we now have good diplomatic relations.

When I was born, my civilization was reaching a point that many galactic civilizations reach. The population density on our home world had grown to a level where she could no longer grow a sufficient amount of food to feed herself.

There are a number of solutions for such a problem, reflecting how many galactic civilizations have found themselves in just such a position. First off, the home world can use advanced agricultural techniques to make the most of remaining land, cultivate rooftops and even farm inside disused industrial facilities. While great ingenuity is used, the intense demand for space means the food, no matter how efficiently grown, is expensive and insufficient.

Secondly, there is an active and well developed galactic marketplace where agro worlds sell their surplus to be shipped interstellar distances to willing markets. Such food frequently doesn't match up with the tastes of the market civilization. Further, the hyperspace shipping is expensive, so even if the food is cheaply bought, it is expensive when it reaches it's market destination.

A third solution is for a civilization to establish it's own agricultural colonies. In our case, it was a nice moon in the same solar system, less than thirty hours flight time away from the homeworld. This meant that even though the food would have to be shipped via space freighter, it could be on a dedicated, purpose built, transport with no expensive hyperspace capabilities, greatly reducing cost. The moon was use formed and the crops and food animals that could be produced would reflect the tastes of the parent society.

My parents decided just after I was born to move to this new agro colony. Why? I'm not really sure, but I can speculate. My father was a droid supervisor engineer in a factory. My mother was an instructor in agricultural techniques at a local university. As mid-level professionals they could have expected to have an apartment around three meters by three meters. I would say a cube, but the ceiling would not have been much more than two meters. There would have been a small washroom in one corner, with a cabinet on one side along the wall for storage and food prep facilities on the other wall. There would have been no privacy and the central space would have had to work for all uses. The apartment would have been buried in an apartment block over a kilometer to a side. So likely no windows. If my parents had played their cards right, and possibly overspent, they might have got an apartment with an actual small, sealed window, with a wonderful view of the next block less than a meter away.

On the colony world our family lived alone, but for droids, on a farm that was thousands of acres. My bedroom was larger than that apartment and had huge bay windows that looked over the family garden, the farm and beautiful forested mountains in the distance. I had an outdoor playground to myself and spent many idyllic days running in the nearby woods and splashing in a nearby stream.

My father oversaw the staff of droids who worked the farm. My mother saw to my care, education and did the planning for the farm that my father executed. My mother also tended the garden which provided a steady supply of the freshest fruits and vegetables for our table which she turned into delicious meals.

The closest thing to civilization on the colony was the Port. On the agro colony, the freighter from the home world would come twice per week. We almost always sent in a shipment. The farms were all set in a temperate zone with three hundred and twenty arable days out of the three hundred and thirty-two-day solar year. Those twelve non-arable days were crazy busy, trying to reset the farm for the next year. Normally we didn't bother to meet the freighter. We'd send a droid piloted hover lorry towing shipping containers of food production to be shipped back to the home world. It was a three hour trip each way from our farm to the Port. Once a month or so, we would make the trip as a family.

There wasn't much at the "Port." It was universally called the, "Port," because naming so humble a place seemed pretentious. There were the loading and unloading docks. We shipped much more back than we got, that was the point of the place, but the freighter would bring consumer goods, physical correspondence and most importantly, HoloNet updates. There was a second pad at the Port, but I never saw it used.

Aside from that, there was a small general store, a jala diner, only open on freighter days, a small entertainment center, not much better than one likely had at home, and a small community center with park. People on farms tried to coordinate the once a month day, often trying to have potluck meals and sorting out whatever minor matters of politics and business needed resolving. There was one boy, three years younger than me, that I played with sometimes, though it was more me being kind. There was an older girl who I enjoyed playing with more and, only many years later did I realize, was probably giving me the same kindness.

All told, we lived a lonely life. In that apartment block on the home world I would have had many groups of potential friends. Many schools to choose from. Many available activities. Not to mention, instantaneous connection to a vast global net. It was a tradeoff moving to the agro colony.

The dedicated freighter had room for a small number of passengers. Children leaving for higher education and very occasionally, new families coming to set up farms were the most common passengers. Though the freighter had only a small passenger capacity, it was rarely fully booked and much more likely to be empty. Occasionally, business people would come, careful to get their business done before the freighter left lest they be stuck on the colony for three days. The general store had a rarely used and not very luxurious room for rent.

That was how the Jedi came.

I was seven. There was a gathering party at the port on this particular freighter day. They had a force field bouncy ride which I thought was the best thing ever. The Jedi asked that the children be lined up. Deep respect for the Jedi was normal in our community so we complied. I was second to last. The Jedi knelt in front of each child, one by one, looked us in the eyes and moved on to the next. There was nothing special in my examination. Afterward, he went and spoke to my parents.

The Jedi went back that night on the freighter. That night my mother wept the whole ride home and then into the night. Three days later, my mother put together a small bundle for me and we flew back to the port. On the ride, my father said, "We are very proud of you. You have been selected to go and study at the Jedi Temple. We expect you to study hard and be a credit to our people and our family."

We got to the port only a short time before the freighter was to leave. My mother knelt before me and said, "Never forget that we love you and we do what we do because we feel it is in your best interest."

Then my parents both hugged me tight and kissed me. They saw me aboard the freighter and into a small stateroom. They both hugged and kissed me one more time and then they left.

At that moment, I was very excited. I had no idea that going to the Temple was a one-way trip and would mean I could never go home. I was going to be a Jedi! The Jedi were the heroes of nearly every holovid drama. They were super heroic and super cool and I would be one of them!

I watched holovid for a few hours and then fell asleep on the small hard bunk.

At the port, as I walked off the freighter, Jedi Master Plo Kun welcomed me with a question, "Are you ready for the next step?"

I nodded and he took my hand. He walked me across the port to what I would later learn was a Consular class ship.

We flew directly to Coruscant and landed at the Temple. Master Plo Kun left me there on the dock, the last connection to anything familiar was gone.

I was quickly met by a Counselor, a kind matronly woman named Moragrace well known in the Temple. Counselors are Jedi who are selected to watch over the younglings in the Temple, essentially den mothers and fathers to the children in training. The Counselors are skilled, experienced and have the insight granted by the Force. Mother Mora quickly had me bundled off to receiving where I was permanently relieved of my clothing and possessions from home, washed and given appropriate robes. I was then fed a solid meal of very comforting stew. Afterward, I was taken to my dorm which I would share with three other children, one also newly arrived, Keely, and two a bit more experienced, Posh and Tuck.

I had the normal homesickness, particularly when I started to realize this wasn't a summer camp, I wouldn't be going home or even be able to call my parents. Like other younglings, I had my new family of dorm mates and friends and the Counselors looking after me. I also had the long, exciting, mentally engaging and exhausting days of training. I knew my parents knew where I was. I knew where they were. I knew they wanted me to work hard and succeed, which, to some degree, I did.

In training I was typically somewhere around the fiftieth percentile in physical training disciplines, like saber practice. I was in the eightieth to ninetieth percentile in academic subjects. In time, I passed my Initiate Trial, was promoted to Padawan and assigned to a Master.

The Order tries to match like with like as much as possible for the Master-Padawan relationship. Every species and culture has it's own quirks and having someone who has already achieved status as a Jedi and learned to work with those quirks is useful for a Padawan who is also likely going through that most awkward time of adolescence. Ideally, the Order likes to find a Knight or Master from the same culture and species. If there isn't an exact match, an effort is made to match like with like, for example Master Kit Fisto and his Padawan, Nahdar Vebb. While not stated publicly as policy, there is also, I suspect, a final option of throw all the exotics in a final bucket. Despite being human, a well-represented species in the Order, I was the first representative of my culture. There was a human representative from our parent culture, a Jedi Knight named Bors Siloweez. I expected to be assigned to him. Instead, in another victory for our culture's farsighted founders, I got dumped in the exotic box.

I was assigned to Jedi Master Palatex, a Hydran. Master Palatex was fairly typical of Hydrans. He had a round grey cylinder-shaped body about a meter tall, nearly an exact match for the trash cans found throughout the Temple. I would actually see people throw trash on him from time to time. Master Palatex had three short stubby round legs spread evenly beneath him, three eyes spread equally around his lid-like neck-less head and three arms also equally spread around his torso coming out at the junction of his torso and head. The arms were each unique and of unique lengths. The arms were thin, about the diameter of one of my fingers, made up of bony segments between ten and thirty centimeters long joined by joints that seemed to be randomly distributed. The joints either did not bend much, bent only one way, bent several ways or bent all ways.

I was already a bit shaky with physical disciplines, particularly the saber. I had been hoping to be assigned to a Master who would be a real mentor in that area. There are some non-humanoid shaped and semi-humanoid shaped Masters who are experts with the saber. Master Yoda is a legend with the saber. I, like most young Jedi, devoured holovids of his demonstrations. I was even lucky enough to see Master Yoda in person one time doing an impromptu demonstration in the exercise area. This was not the case with Master Palatex. He did have a light saber and could hold it, but how he was ever able to pass the Test of Combat to be Knighted I will never know.

Master Palatex always spoke through a voder and was difficult to understand. When Moragrace introduced me to Master Palatex, at first he was silent for a long time. I wasn't sure if he was conscious. Eventually, he replied, "In the courtyard, there is a bench."

It wasn't clear to whom he was speaking.

It's amazing how much we depend on subtle gestures which actually cross many species and cultural lines to help us understand something as simple as who someone is talking to.

I eventually figured out how to tell who Master Palatex was speaking to. It had to do with the way he held his arms. Nothing as simple as, say, pointing at who he was talking to, that would be too easy. But in the sway of the way he held his arms one could tell. Mostly.

I could never tell whether Master Palatex thought he was a diplomat for his species in a literal presenting credentials sort of way or in a philosophical way. There were lots of times I didn't think the voder had any idea what he was saying and there were others where it couldn't parse his speech because what he was trying to say reflected concepts so alien, Galactic Standard had no equivalents. Then, once in a while, a pearl would fall out.

One day, I was feeling particularly frustrated that I didn't think I was getting the training I needed as a Padawan. Further, if Master Palatex was perceived as a joke, it would make me into a joke. I really couldn't understand most of what he said and wasn't even certain he knew what was going on around him. Then, as I sat on a step below him in some random hallway, someone threw a piece of trash on him. I was about to pick up the piece of trash and do something unfortunate when out of Master Palatex's voder came, "You must be patient. I know I am not the one who is stupid."

I stopped dead in my tracks. Master Palatex knew exactly what was going on around him. In a moment of blinding insight, somewhat similar to realizing that the girl on the agro colony was doing me a favor, not enjoying playing with me, every weird, disjointed thing Palatex said became clear. Palatex was testing and nudging me to understand more complex concepts. If he just said what he wanted me to know, I probably would have ignored him like a typical human teenager. By making me learn the ideas myself, I was really learning.

There were many things Master Palatex couldn't teach me directly, but he saw to it that I got the training. Master Palatex could barely hold a light saber, but he made sure I got drilled twice a day. He saw that I got tutoring regularly in other subjects as well.

The main thing Master Palatex taught me was how to live and conduct myself. As a wood colored human, I would spend my life in galactic culture dealing with, "What are you?" questions that would often be uttered in less than respectful ways. The reality of life on large crossroads planets like Coruscant is that one may deal with so many different alien species it's hard to keep track. Many people carry small devices to help identify species they aren't familiar with. For me, these devices would sometimes read "Human," but also things that were obviously completely wrong like "Besalisk," or just a simple, "can't identify." Sometimes they would read my personal favorite, "Human in disguise."

Little did I know that my appearance would be just the tip of the freakishness iceberg. Being able to be patient and tolerant and still deal with others with compassion has made all the difference. Those lessons have been far more valuable than mere light saber drills and I owe them all to Master Palatex.

There was one other issue going on in my awkward adolescent Padawan days. There was a girl. Her name was Fion au Paisean. She was very fit, as most Jedi trainees are. She had long red hair and a fair, creamy complexion. Mostly, she was just full of life and passion. She was three years younger than me but was consistently at the head of her form in all areas. I had a terrible crush on her.

Jedi aren't supposed to fall in love. Attachments are deeply discouraged. I had terrible fantasies about taking her back to my home world where we would start a farm and have lots of passionate sex. Yes, my fantasies of her had a lot of sex in them.

Sex is one of those sticky subjects in the Jedi order. In theory, according to the rules and, more importantly, the Path, a Jedi is not supposed to have sex. On the other hand, it's understood that being distracted by excessive desire for sex is not useful. In fact, there are some species represented in the Order for whom having sex is not optional. There is also an understanding that a portion of the Jedi gift is genetic. Strict abstinence would mean far fewer new little Jedi being born. At the same time, Jedi are religious leaders. Jedi are looked up to and have a painfully hard earned good reputation. Many civilizations that comprise the Galactic Republic have very backward ideas about sex. A Jedi being caught having sex in a seamy way would be damaging.

Much more important, Jedi are depended on for our impartiality which makes the far more dangerous issue that sex can lead all too easily to attachment. What starts as a single event can become an arrangement. An arrangement can become something more much too easily. It's one of those easy paths that can start fairly innocently but lead to something else. Then someone has too much influence on a Jedi and bad things can happen.

So being caught having sex in a manner that is illegal or socially frowned upon is very forbidden. Becoming attached is even more forbidden. If one has sex, to reduce distraction, in a manner that doesn't embarrass the Order and doesn't create attachment, still technically forbidden, but likely to be winked at.

I had a small amount of experience. A young cleaning girl with a pleasant appearance asked me one day to show her my quarters. I assumed she wanted to clean them. When we got to my quarters, I had finally earned a small private cell, she closed the doors and put her arms around me and kissed me. I was very surprised. She then began to take off her clothes.

As I stood there shocked, she said, with a bit of confusion in her heavily accented Standard, "Do you wish?"

I wished. I was very curious and, as a healthy adolescent human male, very interested. I quickly took off my clothes and we made use of my cot. It was a bit awkward because of the tight space and my complete lack of useful experience, but very pleasurable for all that. She got dressed and left. I missed evening saber practice.

Still, with Fion, I could probably count the number of words I exchanged on one of my six fingered hands. Every time I saw her it was like my eyes exploded and my brain shut down. As luck would have it, over our time in the Temple, we sparred twice. She won both times, but I'm not sure if that was because she was better, or I was barely functioning each time.

The second time we met, I was a senior Padawan and she was waiting to be assigned. Random chance resulted in us being paired for sparring. The blade of my blue saber and her green touched and touched again. She moved faster, my form was better. It had been a mild annoyance that my saber, once assembled from her hard earned Kyber crystal, had turned out to be blue. It just seemed natural, it should be green. Fion's was very green. The split second of distraction as those thoughts flitted through my mind were all Fion needed to flit through my guard for a third point and victory.

She was very good, skilled, agile, fast. If we had longer, I'm sure my advantage of experience would have been diminished and she would have been the better.

As I came to the end of my time as Padawan, Master Palatex had an amazingly lucid conversation with me about my future in the Order.

Every young person who hoped to be a Jedi, whether they realized it or not, hoped to be in the Diplomatic Corp of the Order. They're the ones traveling to exotic locations, having adventures and doing what people think of Jedi doing. It's not as glamorous as it seems. For every swashbuckling adventure, there are many, many more long, tedious negotiations of obscure rights, details, and endless pages of agreements.

That said, of course, it's still what I wanted.

Master Palatex went on to explain, "With your given virtues and limitations, I would recommend a position in the Order's Logistics and Accounting Division. They have an opening and I understand you would be accepted if you applied."

"It sounds like a very boring career." I complained.

"A Jedi does not crave excitement and adventure." Master Palatex immediately quoted from the Truisms.

The conversation went on some time from there but basically consisted of me whining about giving up my dreams and Master Palatex patiently covering that I wasn't going to be accepted as a Diplomat and would embarrass myself by applying. It wasn't what I wanted to hear, and I was a little sad, but when we were done talking I knew it made sense. The Logistics and Accounting job had to get done and it was important that I make a contribution to the Order. I did have a natural tendency to be orderly and thorough. I was, whatever I wished I was, well suited to the task.

I passed my exams to be Knighted. The Trial by Combat was awkward, but I accounted myself sufficiently well. The Trial of Spirit strangely seemed to test if I would fail if I became lonely. It didn't make much sense. My childhood had prepared me well for isolation. Of those at the Temple, my transition had been unusually graceful. Despite that, the test had me feeling that I was marooned alone on a rocky planet without hope of rescue. I think the test wanted to sense if I would give in to madness. I found the circumstances unpleasant, but I prevailed and passed.

I was Knighted in a ceremony before the High Council along with some of my fellow recent graduates. Just before the ceremony, Tuck came by, he was to be Knighted with me in the same ceremony. Tuck stopped to pass the latest gossip, the true fuel on which the Temple ran, and told me, "Did you hear? Fion has just been assigned to Athacalena as Padawan."

Athacalena was a famous Tymbrimi Jedi Master in the Diplomatic Corp. Her career was the stuff of legend. She had sewn up countless negotiations that had brought the end to, and avoided, endless conflicts. Many of her successes had only been possible because of her incredible brilliance, finesse with the light saber, and, it was rumored, her ability to wrap any male around her little finger. Rumors consistently put her on the short list to be Yoda's successor on the High Council.

It made sense, Fion was the sort of really top-notch candidate who went into Diplomacy. She would be paired with the best possible mentor. There was a moment of ugly envy. The girl of my dreams was getting the career of my dreams and I was going to get to add up a lot of ledgers. I overcame my smallness quickly, wished Fion the best in my heart and was Knighted.

With bluff good hope, I went and began my duties as the newest Jedi Knight in the Logistics and Accounting Division. I learned where my workstation was, where to find the nearest lavatory and which machine gave the best caf. I also learned where they kept the money, though I certainly had no access. I sat. I did ledgers. I filled out reports. I did the lowest scut work so I would learn the job. I learned the ins and outs of finance. Someday, if I survived long enough, I might rise to head of department and be promoted to Master. In the meantime, I would contribute and complete important duties that would allow the Order to function.

That lasted nine months. Then there was the Battle of Geonosis, the Clone Wars were upon us and everything changed.

I was NOT one of the Jedi at Geonosis. When Master Windu pulled together all the Jedi Knights he could to go to Geonosis, that did not include lowly members of L and A.

With the casualties sustained at Geonosis, standards dropped and all the Jedi Knights that could be wrung from any corner of the Order that might be able to serve were brought together. That did include me.

The fifty or so of us were assembled in the Private Sanctuary and addressed by Master Windu;

"We are now at war. The Republic needs a swift end to this conflict. The Republic has succeeded in procuring an army and will be making all efforts to increase and improve this force going forward. I know the use of a clone army is controversial, but practical considerations require us to make this compromise and acquiesce. The more swiftly this conflict is ended, the faster this choice may be reversed.

We will be placing Jedi adviser leaders with as many clone units as possible. You will thus be able to use your gift in the most efficient and effective way possible. As is always the case, there is greater need for Jedi than there are Jedi available.

Master Mundi and I will be putting you through a twelve-week course. In the morning and evening, training will be with sabers with an emphasis on real combat representing what we have already learned on Geonosis. The middle of the day will be spent with military advisers learning the basic skills necessary to interoperate with the military including basic leadership and tactics. We would love to take a year or more to do this training and then assign you to experienced Jedi who have mastered the task. That is not possible, there is neither the time nor are there experienced Jedi commanders. As usual, we will expect the impossible from you."

Master Windu was as good as his word. Training began, and it was a whole new world. I was excited that I wouldn't be relegated to Accounting for my whole career. I would probably go back to Accounting when this was all over in a few months, but at least I'd have a few stories to tell. I was scared that I was going into combat, many Jedi had died on Geonosis. Our Jedi robes and sabers were clearly NOT perfect armor. The saber training wasn't the artistic, athletic exercise it had been up till now. It was about real combat and survival. The middle of the day was used to learn the structure of the military, how to operate different pieces of equipment, combat strategy and tactics, both personal and unit. It was intense, like nothing I had experienced up to that point in my life.

One of the main changes in combat we all became aware of was the blasters. There had been a few blaster weapons around in the past, but they had been painfully slow firing, unreliable and expensive. Clearly, they had become far faster, reliable and common. Left unspoken was the question of whether Jedi and light sabers would still have meaning on this modern battlefield?

I would also say that while all this was going on, the Temple was abuzz. The use of a clone army wasn't just controversial, it was an abomination, a crime against all sentient beings. Before the Battle of Geonosis, finding out a regime was using a clone army in a conflict would have instantly meant regime change would have been required and those responsible held accountable for their crimes, with the Jedi Order leading the way! I felt I understood the underlying reasons why it was necessary, but I was appalled, and I was probably one of those most supportive. There were many Jedi who were calling publicly to sue for peace, immediate disbanding of the clone army, sanctions placed on Kamino and only resuming conflict if a better option could be found.

Then the Melchor Incident occurred.

While we were training our hearts out. Other senior Jedi were fanning out across the galaxy. Over a thousand systems had gone over to the Separatists. A huge number more were wavering. The Council of Neutral Systems had over fifteen-hundred worlds in it. A massive diplomatic campaign was called for and begun. Some of these missions became the stuff of legends. Yoda's embassy to Toydaria where he faced down an entire column of Separatist war machines with a handful of clone troopers and kept Toydaria in the fold was a fantastic success. Athacalena's embassy to Melchor did not go as well.

While negotiating and wooing the Melchorians to stay in the Republic, a Separatist army under the leadership of a "General Grievous" overran and occupied the planet. Athacalena and Fion were captured.

Then, in a broadcast to the entire galaxy, Grievous made a speech with Athacalena and Fion bound kneeling next to him,

"Some of you still think the Republic and the Jedi can protect you. There is nothing that could be more wrong. The Jedi have grown weak and corrupt. Only the Confederacy of Independent Systems can protect you now as you shall SEE!"

Then Grievous used their own light sabers to behead Athacalena and Fion.

That changed things in the Order and in me. Many in the Order who had been wavering or debating stopped. This had been a direct attack on the Order and the murder of two of her most beloved members. Geonosis had been bad, but it had been a fight. In fact, a fight the Order had initiated. This was murder. This was a direct attack on the idea of the Order and everything it stood for. The courage of most was screwed to the sticking point. Including mine. I hated the Separatists now in a way that probably wasn't right for a Jedi. I wanted to kill this Grievous myself. I had fantasies of cutting him to pieces with my light saber. Any concerns I had about going to war with a clone army were gone. Maybe not my first choice, but if clones were what we had, then with clones I would go.

I, like many of my fellow Knights-in-training, redoubled my efforts. This war was serious now in a whole new way. Despite that, the weakness in my saber skills remained clear. I had a particular weakness going to right lower quarter guard. Time and again I would get tagged there. About six weeks in, I was sparring in evening practice with Master Mundi. I was slow again to right lower quarter guard and he tagged my hip with a live saber. I went down like a pole axed bukar steer. It hurt! BAD! Nothing had ever given me that viscerally intense feeling of pain. The med techs raced over to attend me. I was red hot angry. How dare he injure me! As the med techs worked, I looked up at Master Mundi about to yell all sorts of unfortunate things and I saw his face. That stopped me cold. He didn't need to say a word, but his message could not have been more clear, "You'll learn to go to right lower quarter guard now, won't you?"

That action, more than anything up to that point told me, I was going to war. This wasn't about play, or posture or prestige. There would be no safety net.

I was taken to the clinic. The wound was sprayed and bandaged. It had been the lightest of touches, masterful really. Still, despite the anesthetic, it hurt. The wound would hurt for many days, but the next day I was much faster getting to right lower quarter guard.

Training came to an end. I won't say I was a saber genius of the Jedi Order, but I felt my ability to apply those skills in the real world had been greatly enhanced.

There had been talk of assigning me to the rapidly building space fleet, but the demand for ground troop advisers was simply too intense.

I packed a few simple things in a linen satchel. I had a pair of stout boots I'd been working in. Several extra pairs of socks. A variety of military gear was made available to us. I took lower leg protectors and gauntlets as they had been recommended. I also took a chest piece and a helmet that didn't cover my face. I would forgo the upper arm and leg armor as I felt, like most Jedi, they would interfere with my movements with saber.

I met with Master Mundi who gave me my orders, "You will be rendezvousing with the 322nd Battalion on Plynth. There are already two other Jedi-led battalions there. They will brief you when you get there as to your objectives."

I took a small courier vessel and a pilot droid. I practiced a bit of flying but left most of the tedious work to the droid. It was a modestly uncomfortable twenty-two-hour flight confined to the pilot's seat, I was glad to have brought the droid because at least I got some sleep. I landed on a Republic command ship in orbit and made brief pleasantries with the Commander of the fleet, a non-clone human named Captain Fullbright, and was sent down to my command on a dropship with some additional supplies.

Captain Fullbright informed me during a brief conversation over a meal, "For now, we have full control of the space around Plynth. That could change at any time should the Separatists decide to contest the system. Should that happen, we would have to break orbit or risk being in an inferior position. Hopefully, we would be able to beat back the attack and continue to provide orbital coverage. We should be able to give you a smooth ride down to your men on the surface in a dropship with some supplies."

I had time to freshen up a bit before the dropship left the Command Ship and sped me on my way.

I landed on the temperate earth of Plynth. It was a bit dusty and the local flora was completely unfamiliar. I was met by a clone Captain.

The Captain efficiently ordered his men, "Get the dropship empty, that might be your dinner on there or the ammo that saves your lazy lives!"

The men snapped to fast and efficiently and started moving the cargo.

I walked over to the Captain and extended my hand, "I'm Furin Kazan. I'm here to help."

Rather than take my hand, the Captain snapped a salute, "Captain DS-2738 at your service. Sir!"

I pulled my hand back and returned his salute.

That first hello pretty much defined our relationship. No matter how hard I tried, I could never seem to get him to warm up.

We took some small military hover lorries to our Battalion's position. As soon as the supplies were stowed, Captain DS ordered, "Inspection! Drop your rocks grab your socks! Move it!"

The battalion was formed up and ready for review in a surprisingly short time. I politely saluted. I was no expert, the men and equipment were a bit dirty, but seemed to be in good shape. I took a few rifles from random men, broke open their rear breach and checked to see if they were clean and serviceable. They were. The breech loading rifles were a new innovation, faster and more accurate, particularly as they were held by clones, than the shorter barreled, smooth bore muzzle loaders still used by the Separatists. I would need to make sure I made full use of that advantage.

I addressed them, "I look forward to being of help and I promise to treat every one of your lives as being as precious as my own."

I didn't expect cheering, but the response was pretty non-existent.

The Captain showed me to my command car. It was a small, lightly armored hover lorry with a basic cot, small situation table and communications facilities.

"Perhaps you would like to contact your fellow Jedi?" The Captain asked.

"Thank-you." I answered as I went inside and closed the door.

I stowed my few bits under the cot and started working the commo gear.

I had quickly raised one of my fellow Jedi.

"Hi, I'm Buri Yone," he answered when he came online, "We don't have a formal command structure, but I am the most senior present. If you need any help, just let me know. One moment and I'll see if I can raise Par Gyn."

Buri then worked his commo for a few moments and we had a three-way conference. Buri did most of the talking.

"As you can see Par is pretty much engaged here," Buri said as he pointed to a map, "and I'm engaged here. If you can march your force to here," Buri continued gesturing on the map, "and take this position, it should be enough to break their resistance. They call it 'The Presidio,' It's a major command and control center, re-supply point and communication relay. It's also the Palace and governing center of the planetary leader. He was nominally democratically elected but not really. He supported the Republic as long as we had him. As soon as the Separatists got him, he's been all for the Separatists. If you can get him back, my insight says his support will switch again. That might make clean up simpler. But what's important is liberating that Presidio as fast as possible. You got anything Par?"

Par replied, "No that sounds about right. Just get in that Presidio ASAP."

"Ok, we'll move out as soon as we can muster." I answered.

We talked for a bit after that. I told them about my first meeting with the Captain.

"Yeah, sometimes it takes a bit for these clones to warm up. Suggest he might want to pick a name for himself. That might break the ice." Buri advised.

When we were done, I leaned out the door and saw a trooper standing guard.

"Summon the Captain please." I asked.

"He's at mess sir." The trooper replied.

Apparently, I had missed dinner, and no one had been kind enough to mention it. I hardly live on my stomach, but I'd already missed some meals and it was the last solid meal we were to get for some time.

When the Captain came back, I felt after a bit longer than it should have taken, I invited him into the truck. I went over our objectives with him and then said, "What do you suggest?"

"The troopers can be ready to move out very soon if you need them." He replied.

"Yes, that's good. But do you have any suggestions for how we should approach?" I asked again.

"Each trooper will give his all sir." He replied.

It went on like this for some time.

I finally suggested, "We'll move each of the three infantry companies in a row. Then we'll have the armor and artillery follow up as a ready reaction force."

"Yes sir." He replied.

"How fast can we get moving?" I asked.

"Well, we could get moving now, but it's evening. The men mostly have had no sleep. I recommend we wait till morning." The Captain answered.

I hated the idea of waiting a minute when my fellow Jedi had asked for speed. At the same time, I had finally wheedled an actual suggestion out of the Captain. I knew it could badly damage any subsequent working relationship if when he finally worked himself up to say something, I just overruled him. Further, we'd be advancing in the dark which was not to our advantage and pushing the men to exhaustion would be bad for morale, up casualties and wouldn't necessarily speed things up.

So, I said, "Give orders for every man to be ready to move out at first light. Also, I expect for the next few days we'll be eating rations on the move. If there's a formal mess, please make sure I'm notified."

"Yes sir." He replied.

"Also, please consider taking up a nickname. I think it would help us communicate."

"Yes sir, pick whatever you like sir." He replied.

"I'd really rather you picked your name yourself. Perhaps you'll give me what you come up with tomorrow?"

"If you'd like sir." He replied.

With that I sent him on his way.

I knew it would be less than five hours before dawn, so I took that moment to get some sleep.

The next morning, I woke well in time to be ready to march and put on my full battle regalia. I emerged from the car to find my infantry companies packed and ready to go, in their armor. They'd eaten rations because the kitchen had been packed for the march. It took some time, but I found the Captain and asked, "Are we ready to move out?"

"Well about that Sir…" he began. Apparently, the tanks and the artillery weren't ready to move out. I would never be certain if there was some genuine misunderstanding, if there had been some real technical issue or if the Captain was trying to undermine me. The upshot was we weren't ready to move out till three hours after sunup while the infantry sat in their armor waiting, not having had a good breakfast, my fellow Jedi and their troops took casualties and we were definitely not winning the war.

When we finally did move out, things went well for about two hours. I marched at the head of the column and we moved along at a good orderly speed. Then we encountered the enemy.

Standing on a low ridge, there were about two hundred droids and about a hundred planetary militia. The droids were basic Separatist infantry. The militia was poorly uniformed scrabble. The militia were all lightly armed, no heavy blasters, launchers or support equipment. A few had decent rifles, but most seemed to be armed with antiquated gear, some with pistols and some seemed armed with farm implements. I did not look forward to wading into them. I decided there I would focus on the droids. I then justified my decision to myself by saying the droids were more dangerous and I didn't want to wipe out the militia if it wasn't necessary. Overall, I knew my force had a substantial advantage and should win if we came to blows. However, there were enough of them to hurt us badly if we took them lightly.

I quickly summoned the Captain who reviewed the situation with his binoculars. Then we discussed the terrain and situation on the maps in our holo-tablets.

"Do you have an opinion on how we should proceed?" I asked.

Once again, I got, "Every man will give his best!"

Losing patience, I just started with, "Please relay my orders," and started giving directions to maneuver the companies for battle.

The enemy was, more or less, directly before us. So, Company Two of infantry which sat in the middle of our line would stay steady, while Company One on the left and Company Three on the right would start to maneuver to flank. This would give us good position as well as eyes behind the enemy in case they were planning any surprises behind that ridge. At the same time the armor and the artillery would move forward to support. When we had everything in position, Company One and Three would attack under cover from artillery and tank fire.

It took a while for everything to start moving and when it did, it seemed, for a moment, things were going well. We got almost to the point where the attack would be launched, and then the enemy simply withdrew. They just turned and marched back a click and a half to the next ridge.

I immediately gave orders to start moving, but we had nothing with the speed to pursue. The Republic's six legged tanks were notoriously slow. I had Company Two move forward to occupy the first ridge. Company Two had to move slowly, there might be booby traps. I ordered everything else into pursuit.

We were in position to attack the enemy's second position around sundown. Then the Separatists just marched off again. This time they went behind the ridge, so we didn't have clear targets for artillery.

The men were exhausted, and I wasn't far behind. We'd advanced less than ten clicks, but I'd probably covered over thirty running back and forth between various companies. We camped and set up a schedule for the infantry companies to do guard duty.

"Make sure those tanks and artillery are ready to move at sun up." I said briefly to the Captain.

I had Third Company move to the middle of the line and put Second Company on the right flank. I planned to take Third Company out before dawn, I wanted to be at the base of that ridge by sun-up.

Dawn found me with Third company at the base of the ridge. We were moving better as a unit. The Captain reported he had the tanks and artillery moving and the other infantry companies were moving up into flanking positions while I led Third Company to the top of the ridge. There were a handful of primitive booby traps, but we found them quickly without incident.

As we crested the ridge we spotted the Separatists another ridge ahead. The march began again.

Clearly the Separatists were engaged in delaying. I kept pushing, only to have them walk away. Day after day I marched the Clones and myself to exhaustion, never able to come to grips with the enemy. Despite this, our advance was painfully slow.

It was nine days of constant prodding by my fellow Jedi, pushing hard from before dawn till after dark. We finally reached the Presidio on the tenth day. We stormed the Presidio to find no one and not much home. Clearly, it had been evacuated at leisure.

On the eleventh day the Separatist fleet arrived and the Republic fleet, configured for ground invasion support, not space combat, had to break orbit.

We held the Presidio and had scouting teams out looking for the enemy which we never found.

Later I would learn that Captain Fullbright's rapid break of orbit allowed him to gain strong positional advantage which he then used to drive back down into orbit giving better than he got and executing a fast evacuation of Plynth. We had to destroy our own heavy equipment as we didn't have time and lift capacity to bring it, which was humiliating.

I was formally reprimanded. My failure to take the Presidio in a timely fashion had led to defeat. I learned later that I was being called "The Hero of Plynth," behind my back. Part of my penance was that I was required to study all the action on Plynth, so I could understand my error as clearly as possible and prepare a written report.

I took ten days to write the report. I examined all my errors as clearly and openly as possible. I examined the actions of my fellow Jedi and their troops, seeing how my delay cost them more casualties. How the delay allowed the Separatists to reinforce and defeat us. Essentially, a more _reckless_ course might have cost me some casualties, but it would have saved many more clone lives elsewhere and perhaps achieved victory. It was not an easy or comfortable ten days, but I did it.

My report was accepted, and I was left to wait. I focused on saber practice and physical drills, driving myself to exhaustion just so I could sleep each night. I also picked up a new pair of boots. The pair I had taken to Plynth had worn out there.

After several weeks of being ignored during which I wondered if I would be drummed out of the Order, I got a memo which asked that I report to a new department. This was something, the Order hadn't had a new department in centuries.

I reported at the appointed time. I presented myself and knocked at the door. The door opened, and a low authoritative voice said, "Enter."

I entered to find a surprisingly cluttered office by Jedi standards. Master Arunx waived me to a chair with a hoofy hand. I sat.

Intelligence was run by a Gnume Jedi Knight named Arunx. As was protocol, a fellow Knight like myself would refer to him as "Master Arunx." He was very large, probably at the high end of galactic average.

Yes, time for a bit more pedantry. I don't know if humans are the most populous and common of all sentient species in the galaxy, but we're probably close. Further, many other species from Rhodians to Twi'leks also tend to be about the same size and shape. This means a remarkable amount of galactic infrastructure is designed for that size person. If one is smaller, generally there may be annoyances, but one can find methods of accommodation, but if one is larger, especially if one is much larger, it can be quite a burden. This is no doubt made worse by the fact that in many circumstances every cubic centimeter is expensive, encouraging designers and builders to skimp as much as possible.

I haven't met many Gnumes over the years and I wouldn't be surprised if it was because they tend to be big and wide, weighing in above a thousand kilos. Luckily, while they are pentapeds, like humans and many others, their natural stance is leaned forward which probably also helps. They walk on their shorter hind legs and their long forearms hang before them. The females are about half the size and would probably have an easier time, but I've never met one off their home world. The Gnumes seemed to have evolved from some sort of hooved ungulate. Still Master Arunx probably dealt with many issues of narrow walkways and doors and was glad to have horns that protected his head from low ceilings.

"You're probably wondering what you're doing here." He said.

"Well the question had crossed my mind." I replied.

"They don't want to send you out to command again, not much for second chances the Master's Council. Logistics and Accounting doesn't really want you back either. Might damage their prestige to have the 'Hero of Plynth' working in their department. Bad enough they're not diplomats or war heroes, don't want to be seen as a parking place for failures and incompetents. So that leaves the question of what to do with you. Might be easy for everyone to just ignore you until you disappeared." Master Arunx began.

I had to admit, as I awaited reassignment, the thought had crossed my mind that I was completely unwanted, an automatic embarrassment to any area that might have me. I noticed that Master Arunx had stopped and was awaiting my reply.

"I imagined something like that, but I've never heard of 'Intelligence.' What is it?" I asked.

"Many of your instructors would agree." Master Arunx replied and then laughed a deep snorting, bleating Gnumish laugh.

I guess I had set myself up for that one.

When he finished laughing, Master Arunx explained, "To win a war, and I suspect for many other endeavors, it's not enough to be stronger and faster, one must be smarter, better informed."

Then Master Arunx leaned back in his chair and looked at me thoughtfully before saying, "The next part I must have your word of honor as a Jedi that you will not pass along." 

That was a substantial request. As Jedi, we were supposed to be reliable and discreet, but this was another level.

"I will give my word, but I must hold some level of judgment back, certainly, if you are available to discuss or your designated successor I would not pass it along without permission." I replied.

"That seems reasonable." Master Arunx answered.

There were a number of instances in the Jedi Chronicles we had studied as younglings where secrets were lost to the Jedi Order because words of honor were given and then the secret died with the Jedi in question leading to defeats and privation for the Order. We would both be aware of such episodes and my caveats were based clearly on avoiding such tragedies.

"In the past, if the Order needed to know something, a Master could meditate for a bit and the Force would give him a vision of the truth. Now, it is like a cloud has descended. Our vision has been limited. If it became known outside the Order that we faced this limitation, it would bring all sorts of nasty types out of the woodwork and likely many Jedi would die. Still we have a war to fight, so we must use more mundane methods to be aware of events around us so that we may take the best actions. Hence an Intelligence Department. Be warned, we are held in low esteem. The general opinion is that we are redundant because most don't know of the cloud. Even among those who do, it's expected the cloud will lift eventually and we will then be disbanded. I am Head of Department and I have not been elevated to Master. This is a dead end to your career as a Jedi. Those I request to join tend to be held in very low regard and even among those, many refuse." Master Arunx explained.

Generally, being Head of Department meant elevation to the rank of Master and a seat on the Council, it was a huge sign of contempt for those honors to be withheld.

"Is that why I am being asked? I am held in low regard and you feel I have no other options?" I asked, thinking that I did, in fact, have no other options.

"No. You are held in disdain by most of the Order and you don't have any other options, true, but I don't ask all who fit that description." Master Arunx answered.

"Then to what do I owe the honor of this offer?" I asked.

"Be assured that there are others in low regard that have not received this offer despite our desperate need for any warm body. This department needs only those who will do this job well. I read your report on the Battle of Plynth. It was well written. You didn't spare yourself in any way, but you also didn't spare anyone else's feelings either. Most importantly, it was brutally accurate. I believe you have what it takes to be an effective analyst and we need all the good people we can get." Master Arunx answered.

The answer was actually something of a surprise. It was not direct, but it was a compliment of sorts and a unique vote of confidence that I could come back and still be useful. It wasn't a hard choice, even if I would continue to be held in low regard, at least I would be tolerated, at least so long as the department was. That was much preferable to being drummed out of the Order in shame. More important, I actually believed in the Order and it was very important to me to find a way to serve and this was just such an opportunity.

"Then I accept you're offer." I answered.

I got a small cubicle, slightly less nice than Master Arunx's and far more basic than the cubical I had at Logistics and Accounting. I suppose some reading this might think I was about to be sent off on exciting missions of espionage. I would infiltrate enemy strongholds, seduce beautiful women, engage in fierce duels with horrific enemy champions. That's not intelligence work and when called for, it's handled by the Diplomatic Corps. No, Intelligence is collecting up the mountains of data that have been acquired by such missions or overheard by listening posts or just published in public news journals and trying to convert it into useful information.

I went to work educating myself on the issues at hand, trying to find useful sources and make heads or tails of the endless files we had available. After a week of thrashing, hopelessly drowning in data, Master Arunx called me back to his office.

"How's it going?" He asked.

"Not so well." I answered.

"What's the biggest problem you're facing?" He asked.

"There is simply endless data. More than I can possibly hope to even scan, much less study carefully. You could have a dozen of me and we still wouldn't make a scratch." I answered a bit frustrated and overwhelmed.

"You're running into two of the most basic problems of being a Jedi." Master Arunx replied.

Then Master Arunx leaned back, took a sip of jala, looked me in the eye and continued, "There will never be enough Jedi to do what needs to be done. We have to get it done anyway. All sentient life could literally depend on it. Let me ask you a question, why do you suppose the Order teaches each Jedi to use a light saber?"

I was quite depressed by Master Arunx's statement and completely taken aback by his question. Why does the order teach every Jedi to use a light saber? Why do spaceships fly? Why is the sky up? It was so basic that it made no sense.

"Tradition I assume? For self-defense?" I replied still not sure what Master Arunx was getting at.

"Think about it." Master Arunx began, "I mean, of course those nice folks in Diplomacy probably need it and the Temple Guard, but most, like you, not exactly meant for saber excellence. Not likely to need to fight off determined Sith in Logistics and Accounting and we should know. We should know which younglings will end up where, we have the best aptitude systems and our fabled Jedi insight. If you're supposed to be an accountant, why waste all those hours on saber practice and not teach you more accounting things?"

It was a very unpleasant question and my immediate impulse was to snap something back at him for underestimating what I might be. Then I pulled myself back together and thought for a moment. It was basically true and something that had been bothering me for a long time. I came to the Temple to be a Jedi, not an accountant. When my dream of being in the Diplomatic Corp came to an end, I could at least cling to the last shreds of my tattered dignity that I was a Jedi Knight, a Force user, able to wield a light saber. Saying I didn't need to know how to wield a saber was saying I didn't really need to be a Jedi. Perhaps the Order would have been better off if they had just sent me off to a School of Finance, there were several of very high regard right here on Coruscant, rather than wasting the valuable time of Saber instructors.

It mixed with the deep distress I felt at being held in low regard. I wanted the esteem of my fellow Jedi to a level that was not quite in the Code. Was I nothing but an accountant, a factotum? Was I not really a Jedi? The fact that my self-esteem had just been kicked in the teeth didn't help. I had just been given the perfect opportunity to demonstrate that I could be a man of action, as many other Jedi were doing successfully, and I had failed miserably, and the Order does not suffer failure easily. It could be the last unwritten part of the Code, "Jedi don't fail."

Master Arunx's comment seemed to imply I wasn't a Jedi and went straight through to the heart of my insecurities. Which was why I was so ready to snap. Then I realized, if there was anyone in the Temple who held me in any regard, it was Master Arunx. So, he probably wasn't trying to insult me. Which left the question unanswered.

Finally, I replied, "I suppose it's true, if the Order knows that I and others like me will end up in jobs like Logistics and Accounting, why do they waste time on teaching me to use the light saber?"

"Ah good question." Master Arunx said, then shifted a bit to get comfortable in his chair which was clearly not designed with Gnumes in mind.

"We teach you to use the saber to teach you to use the Force." Master Arunx answered and then continued, "You could teach anyone off the street to be a fair hand with a saber if you gave them six hours a day of instruction by the finest masters in the galaxy. They still shouldn't be able to hold their own against a Padawan because the Padawan can use the Force and all the advantages that gives. You need to learn to apply the Force to whatever you do. If you're adding ledgers, then the Force will tell you where the numbers aren't right. If you're leading troops, then the Force might tell you when, after the second or third day, you should march one of your companies overnight around behind the enemy to cut off their retreat. If you're analyzing a mountain of data, the Force can tell you what speck is the key bit that will help bring victory. Get to that pile and find the key bits, don't be afraid if your gut tells you the rest is dross."

"Thank-you. I'll try that." I answered feeling he had answered more than one question for me.

I returned to my cubicle and began to dig, looking with the Force for the bits that would be most important.

I did find a handful of useful bits by the end of the day and, with a sense of some satisfaction, compiled the best bits in a report and sent them up to Master Arunx.

As the days went by in Intelligence, I educated myself in the issues of the war. What was important and what was minor. I got better at finding key bits in the pile and, understanding what they meant, forwarding them to Master Arunx and whichever Republic and Jedi leaders needed them. Ambushes were avoided, enemy weak spots and hidden assets were revealed. I might not be leading clone legions to victory, but I was helping and saving lives.

As the months went by, I slowly assembled a staff of droids who helped me work the pile. I wouldn't say I set down any responsibilities, but I picked up two areas of specialization. The first was enemy ship movements. We got tens of thousands of reports of sightings of enemy ships. Every after-action report had listings of types and numbers of enemy ships. There was a dedicated cadre of small traders and scouts that would give us times and locations where Separatist ships had been seen. Then there were just endless other sources where we would get information. We slowly but steadily built up a four-dimensional model of the Separatist fleet. That allowed us to give various fleet commanders remarkably accurate forecasts of what they could expect as well as how many and what type of ships the Separatists might be able muster at a given moment in a given area of space.

As part of this specialty, I started to have to go and meet with colleagues in Republic Fleet Intelligence as they held meetings in different parts of the galaxy. It took me a bit, but I found that wearing a Republic Fleet Intelligence Officer's uniform, with the Jedi insignia on my left shoulder of course, helped me fit in very productively. During the day we would have long intense meetings where we would brief each other on new bits of information, new Separatist ship types, new enemy tactics, new detected bases, etc. The model was great at finding new ports and supply dumps. After the day's work there was always a formal, but quite collegial dinner. The food was good, the company and anecdotes amusing. Then after dinner, we would retire to some sort of comfortable lounge area for informal conferencing. The Fleet Intelligence lads always knew how to get the best brandy and spice sticks. Some of the most valuable ideas came after a brandy or two had loosened tongues and the spice stick smoke had grown thick.

There was also a female Fleet Intelligence officer, Arihnda Pryce. Most of the Fleet was male and human, but occasional women would be found here and there. Commander Pryce was an intelligent and ambitious officer and had normal human needs. Unfortunately for those needs, she spent most of her life on ships in the fleet. She was very fit and attractive. If she chose another male Fleet officer to help her satisfy those very natural needs, it could cause problems. I, on the other hand, was not in her chain of command and never would be. That made me very convenient. We discreetly made mutual use of each other's presence on most visits.

In all, they were productive and useful visits.

The second area that I began to specialize in was financial matters. Perhaps it was my time in Logistics and Accounting, perhaps it was an insight from the Force, but it became clear that every ship, base, weapon, even soldiers, particularly in a war being fought between clones and droids, could have a Credit price placed on them. Battles could be seen as large piles of Credits slamming into one another. Just as a four-dimensional map of enemy ships could tell us all sorts of things about the Separatist Fleet, keeping track of where the money went could tell us all sorts of things about Separatist intentions.

Financial intelligence was even more important because at the center of Galactic trade were a number of huge trade edifices, namely the Trade Federation, the Banking Clans, the Techno Union, the Commerce Guilds and the Corporate Alliance. All had been implicated to some degree in support of the Separatists. All of the organizations claimed to be financially neutral, like the Banking Clans or split like the Trade Federation.

Some, like me, who had very little sympathy for neutral systems and the supposed neutrality of what I called, "the Big Five," were very suspicious. We suspected the Big Five were, in fact, truly loyal to the Separatists and just making a show of loyalty to the Republic for convenience. In turn, when we didn't think Republic officials were hopelessly naïve fools, we expected that they accepted the lie of loyalty because it was convenient to do so. Push too hard on any, or all, of the Big Five, and one might just push them fully into the Separatist Alliance. Every day wasn't a banner list of Republic victories. There were many moments when it seemed like the Republic might lose, or, at the very least, be forced to accept a permanent Separatist Alliance. Having the Banking Clan decide they didn't want to support the Republic Credit anymore might be a blow too far. Every time things went well, there was talk of ending the procurement of clones and assembling a more conventional Republic military. As soon as such talk began to gain momentum, inevitably, there would be a series of disasters and crises which would push such talk to the back burner again.

That said, it was clear to me that the economy in general, and the Big Five in particular, could use more intense scrutiny. I expected I might find some militarily valuable intel, and I did. My office was responsible for determining that the Separatists had turned to the use of more linthium in their droids. That showed they were suffering from a shortage of other materials. That also predicated a major assault on Pa'antuarth, a major supplier of linthium to the Separatists. The fact that Pa'antuarth was a major player in the Council of Neutral Systems and was exposed as a secret Separatist sympathizer did not officially give me any satisfaction. The fact that Pa'antuarth's true neutralization put a major crimp in Separatist war production, advanced the pace toward Republic victory substantially, saved the lives of thousands of Republic lives and, presumably, at least a few Jedi, officially did not give me any satisfaction. In fact, I was smug for a week.

I continued my investigation into the Big Five where all I expected to find is what many hard-core Republic loyalists consistently found, scraps and bits which tended to support the contention that they were truly Separatist sympathizers. I was therefore surprised when I found much more.

As I examined the flow of money and support, I found the Big Five were, of course, very sympathetic to the Separatists and neutral in name only. I expected that, and it was hardly a great discovery. However, I did something most people wouldn't bother with, I reviewed financial matters from before the Clone Wars began. My experience with mapping ship movements had taught my team being able to move forward and back in time was critical to having the best model. That's why our fleet model was so much better than everyone else's, since others only tried to know where things were right now and where they might be going. We applied the same kind of analysis to the Big Five and their financial dealings going back twenty or so years before the war started. What became clear was that someone had started the Clone War purposefully. Further, it was someone high in the Chancellor's office. I reviewed my findings three times to make sure I hadn't missed something. Essentially, I knew I was accusing Chancellor Palpatine of starting the Clone War for personal gain.

I compiled what would be the most important report of my life. We documented every iota at ridiculous length. We carefully reviewed, at each turn, every other possible explanation and carefully showed with, if anything, excessive documentation, why it was not possible. Finally, I put forward the conclusion. The thing about money was that it was all out in the open. Decision by decision. Transaction by transaction. It was all there to be seen in the public record. They just assumed no one would ever commit to the hyper tedious and time-consuming task of doing so. I suppose I had found my calling.

Master Arunx reviewed my report, nodded his head sorrowfully, and said, "You will have to present this to the Master's Council yourself."

I formally offered my report to the Council and they, with some apparent reluctance, agreed to hear me out for 15 minutes. Considering the length and complexity of the report, thousands of pages of complex documentation, it seemed brief, like I was being patronized.

Between submitting the report and presenting it, I had several days to consider my options and the likely outcomes. None of them were good. What was I really hoping for, a major schism between the Order and the Chancellor's office, mid-war? I felt it was my honor-bound responsibility to present the report, knowing the most likely outcome was that it would be rejected, and I would be further disgraced. This might be the only chance the Council got before it was too late to realize what they were up against and take action. Maybe it already was too late. Still my oath and honor as a Jedi demanded I go forward. Some Jedi prove their metal on the battlefield and some in desperate duels in the dark, mine was going through those chamber doors.

I showed up in my best robes. I made sure all Members of the High Council had received the report, in advance. We had also produced a summary which was still long, but I hoped would make for easier reading. The report, if printed on normal paper would have made a stack more than half my height. The summary would have been a solid couple centimeters. It took less than five minutes for me to know that not one of them had read my report. Not one of them had bothered to scan the summary. They were all aware of the conclusion. We reviewed the report briefly. I was accused by many of leaping to conclusions and not allowed to present the evidence, which I had, in depth.

At least I did not receive a formal reprimand.

Having had time to consider all the outcomes, I had already prepared a request which I made.

I knelt and said, "Since my report is not pleasing to the Council and your confidence in my services in the office in which I currently serve must be low, I request that I may take a sabbatical. I will go to Jedha where I will meditate and seek wisdom. Perhaps then I will find some way I can be of service to the Order."

Master Windu looked down on me from his cushion and said, "Your request is granted. Speak of this report to no one."

With that I took my leave of the Council, returned to my quarters and wrote this brief memoir.

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	2. Chapter 2

**Legend of the Harp**

 **Episode I: Birth of a Jedi**

 **Chapter 2: Pirate, Smuggler**

My brief memoir complete, I packed my things. I might someday return to the Temple, but it would not be reasonable to expect the Temple to hold my quarters indefinitely. When I came back, if I came back, I could request new quarters.

I had intended to get a good night's sleep then head out in the morning, but strangely enough, sleep was elusive.

I decided I could be off immediately.

I went to my former work cubicle and packed my six droids for shipment. There could be trouble about that. The memories of these droids held state secrets. I would be gone by morning before the discussion could be had.

I went to the Temple's port facility. I requisitioned a ship and got the Consular class ship Tontine. She had just finished a refit. Her red paint was very fresh and she had some better blasters and shields than stock. I also requisitioned a pilot droid, an astromech navigator, a repair/engineer droid and a cook/housekeeping droid. I also got a large pouch of credits, just in case.

I was gone before dawn.

I left a brief note for Master Palatex, essentially saying I would be going to Jedha to meditate and seek wisdom.

I left a note for Master Arunx, "Apologies for keeping my droids. I will try to keep up with some of my duties while I'm away. Thank-you for the opportunity and your wisdom."

Hopefully that would smooth over the droids.

I had the ship fly out to a quiet spot in the mid-rim. Using an old smugglers trick, I shut down the hyper drive in interstellar space, then moved a light year off the hyper space lane and shut down my engines. I was deep in the middle of nowhere empty space.

I had chosen this spot for a particular reason, it was right along the subspace HoloNet transmission lines of several key players. I extended the communications boom and began to record. Then I went to my quarters and got some sleep.

The Consular ship design is about transporting a VIP in modest comfort. There is a master stateroom for the passenger, a set of smaller staterooms for senior crew and secondary guests and a set of bunks for junior crew or guests. I had intended to take one of the bunks, but realized I had too much accumulated personal gear to fit in the storage shelf under a bunk, so I took the junior stateroom next to the master stateroom. The housekeeping droid had done a good job cleaning and prepping the quarters so I had a surprisingly pleasant night's sleep.

I awoke when I was done sleeping and felt amazingly refreshed. I did an hour of exercise and then my morning ablutions. I left my quarters and walked into the hallway/mess area that passed along the length of the ship from cockpit to engineering spaces. I sat down at the long and otherwise unoccupied table to a hot fresh meal that had been prepared by the housekeeping droid. I had a couple weeks of decent rations and a year's worth of survival rations on board. I figured I could pop into several ports in the area and do a quick restock should I run low.

I checked with my engineer droid. It was finishing repainting the exterior of the vessel in a neutral blue and white which implied this was a commercial passenger and cargo vessel.

I then had a moment of intense vertigo-like indecision. I had just accused the Chancellor of the Republic of treason. It was insane. The universe I thought I was in was gone. Part of me just wanted to run to Jedha and start meditating. I had a plan, but it was really off the deep end. If I was caught, the Order would disavow me and I would be a criminal, likely facing the death penalty.

It was scary, but at the same time, I could feel the Force telling me this was my path. I had met senior Jedi who always seemed at peace with what they were doing no matter how crazy, dangerous or insane. I imagined it was this feeling of being at peace with the Force that helped them achieve it. With that self-realization, I got up and went to work.

I worked with each droid that day. I reset their loyalty to be totally fixed to me. The pilot and astromech had emergency recalls which would have them taking the ship back to the Temple if they got a recall code, with or without my permission, so that definitely came out. It was a long day, but eleven hours and ten droids later it was done. Some more exercise and my evening ablutions later and I got another good night of sleep. The sleep of someone at peace with the Force.

The next morning I got to work. I had unpacked my six intel droids. They were of all different makes and models. At the Temple, access to expensive resources like droids was based, in theory, on Jedi restraining themselves to only ask for what they needed. This actually works well as the Jedi way is not a materialistic one. When there is scarcity, the resources are doled out based on prestige. This also tends to work well because prestige reflects the esteem the community of Jedi feel for a particular member. Esteem is generally earned by doing the most important work. Since the judgment of the entire Jedi community is rarely wrong, resources are applied where they are most needed. However, for me, since I had no prestige and worked in a Department with no prestige, this meant that I had to choose my six intel droids from the leftover scraps. Not unlike the way Master Arunx had to pick recruits. I had carefully picked these six. They were not the fastest, smartest and definitely not the newest. But careful management had meant that each droid could fill a role and, in total, they were a well oiled machine.

I had a question as to where to set up shop. I could simply set them up in the central corridor/mess area, there was plenty of space, but I wanted to keep the possibility that a guest might come on board and I might not want that guest to walk right in on this work. All Consular ships had a salon pod designed for confidential negotiation. The built in security precautions in the pod would help maintain secrecy. However, I had the same problem. Guests would expect business negotiations to happen in the pod, if the pod wasn't available, it would raise eyebrows at the very least.

I had saved the VIP stateroom by not greedily using it myself. So we rearranged the furnishings and settled my six droids and a desk for me in there. If I had a guest aboard, they would assume I was using the stateroom and would not be surprised if it remained off limits. There was plenty of room, the VIP stateroom was substantially larger than my cubicle had been.

To my three droids on the financial team I looked and said, "We have a variety of inbound data from our communications boom, go to work."

To my three droids on the ship tracking team I looked and said, "We have a new mission. We will be following the movements of large commercial ships."

Then our work began. The financial team continued doing what it always had. My com boom was hardly the giant slush pile of info that accumulated at the Temple. However, most financial transactions were public record anyway. Beyond that, there was an endless pile of financial media all constantly digging for advantage and racing to publish. There was plenty of work.

The ship team started getting settled into their job as well. In some ways, it was easier. The movements of large commercial ships were also public record. However, for every warship, there were thousands of big freighters roaming the space lanes.

I didn't know what I would do, but my insight was telling me I was digging in the right places. I had to trust the Force and dig.

I was faced with something of a conundrum. If I was supporting the Republic, I could just start blasting battle droids. If I was opposing the Chancellor presumably, I could just start blasting some clones. However, I wanted to strike at the Chancellor and the forces I felt had served to create this war for their own benefit without striking at the Republic, which was a very fine distinction. Since I believed the group I called the 'Big Five' were the base of support which had supplied the Chancellor with the means to wage this war, they became the obvious target.

Of course, this pointed out a secondary problem. When I talked about corruption in the Chancellor's office, it probably sounded like I was an idiot documenting for Separatist agitprop. Realizing that, I now knew that there might have been other ways to write my grand report, certainly the introduction. That was an opportunity well and truly past, but I knew the regret would not go away.

That left me looking for a way to strike at five huge commercial interests. I was but one little person with a little ship and a few droids. I could go rob a Banking Clan branch office, but that would have no measurable effect. Of course, I'd probably end up killing some innocent bank employees and bystanders, but the Clan wouldn't even notice the pinprick. Then, should I be caught, I'd be a disgrace to the Jedi, my people and my parents.

So what could I do? I could follow Master Arunx's advice.

I started to dive into the mountains of data and analysis, letting the Force guide my search.

As I studied, I noticed that the Techno Union was putting a lot of effort into a new holo tablet they would be releasing. As I studied, I learned various important details. First, the tablet was hotly desired. While electronics were typically sold for many prices from many vendors, the Union was insisting that only certain licensed vendors would be allowed to sell the tablets and they would all have to charge a uniform high price. This sort of strategy wouldn't normally work as a product would lose competitive advantage and sales by not being in every store and outlet. However, the Union had orchestrated media coverage at great cost and with great patience to drive demand for the tablet. Now it was set to reap the reward by charging a gouging price for this device.

The tablets would be carried on Trade Federation freighters in vast quantities. This detail was the first that tickled my grey matter.

I reviewed the schedules that my droids were assembling and realized it would not be too hard to pick which transports would be carrying the tablets, when, to make the hotly anticipated announced release dates. The tablets couldn't leave too late, or they would miss their release date. The tablets couldn't leave too early as it would become an untenable security challenge to keep them from being stolen or sold early.

If I stole one of the freighters carrying the tablet for release, that would hurt. I'd want to pick a freighter that would be both vulnerable and well loaded. Then I realized I could do more.

A big piece of the payoff for the Union was being able to control the price to make maximum profit. Just taking the tablets would hurt, but if I then dumped the stolen tablets on the grey market; that would shatter price cohesion.

This attack would hurt the Trade Federation, having their big boat wander off with cargo could not be good. It would also hurt the Banking Clans who would be insuring the shipment.

Would I bring them to their knees? No. That was okay. No single battle of the Clone war had brought the Separatists to their knees. The fact that this would also ding the Separatists more than the Republic didn't hurt my feelings even though I now knew the whole war was all a ploy. I still had sympathies for the Republic, I'm human.

We just had to pick out the right ship at the right place at the right time. I also had a few little purchases that needed to be made.

We slowly docked at Borunti station. The place seemed a bit decrepit. Didn't want the station management to blame us for damage to their dock which had been caused by their own lack of maintenance. We carefully maneuvered into position and the docking seal held at least one more time and with a solid, "k'chunk," we were docked.

"Do you want to do this? You can still turn around?" I kept asking myself. Then I would inhale and bring in the Force, feeling it will me on the path to go forward. I had to control myself and not seem too eager or anxious while I conducted my conventional business on the station. We had been hanging out in space for two months waiting for this moment. Now the moment was here. It was time for my first major independent action.

My quality rations had run out after two weeks and I had been eating emergency rations since. It was very pleasant to sit down to a table at the modest caf diner on the station and have a warm cooked meal of real food. I was wearing my best approximation of what I thought normal civilians wore. Based on the many stares I was getting, I guessed I had not gotten it right. I realized my clothing, among other problems, had too many bright primary colors. I'd never dressed as anything other than a traditional Jedi, this would take some more work.

I then proceeded to the station Sutler and bought a few months of decent food as well as replacements for the month and a half of emergency rations I'd eaten. I also bought some personal items for myself and replacements for minor consumables for the ship, which was also being topped off with fuel, but that was paid for elsewhere. The astromech who had joined me on my little expedition was an effective tug pulling the cargo hover sled covered with parcels back to the ship.

When we got back to the ship. I quickly reviewed plans with the pilot droid. I also admonished the housekeeper/cook droid to rotate the new emergency rations to the rear of the storage compartment so we would use the oldest first.

I did all this while I used my new little investment to change into a disguise.

If one reviewed the holocam footage from the docking ring where my ship hung, one would see me come out, do a bit of a look around, perhaps to make sure we hadn't left anything on the concourse, then use the station comp pad to settle docking and fuel charges. Then I would walk back into the ship and a few moments later the pilot droid would make the normal request for permission to debark, followed by doing a very normal and boring undock and fly away, eventually jumping into hyperspace and parts unknown.

A few moments later, an Aqualish would be seen moving through the hall. Perhaps he had snuck in by jimmying one of the unused dock doors? The Aqualish was clearly wearing clothes that identified him as a Speckled Slug. One resource I would never be able to exhaust would be criminal gangs and bands. Criminal organizations in the galaxy varied from entire species like the Hutts and the Pikes, to huge organizations like Black Sun through to the nasty little bunches that infested every civilization in the galaxy. Each civilization had at least one big criminal organization, some had several. They all thought they would achieve greatness because they were ever so smart and tough and ruthless. The Aqualish had the Speckled Slugs.

I made my way to the large scale zero-g docks dressed as an Aqualish who was clearly wearing Speckled Slug livery and found the personnel port for the mega freighter in question. I had carefully timed this. The cargo was fully loaded, they had stopped at this station to pick up a load of power converters going to the same destination. The ship was just finishing topping off on the carefully calculated minimum amount of fuel since she would need some to complete her route, but this wasn't the cheapest place for the Federation to buy. The ship was set to leave in the next few minutes. I waved my hand over the port pressing the Force against the door lock mechanism and it opened.

I had been wearing, and now held in my hand a DC-17 hand blaster I had acquired in my heroic Plynth days. My saber was concealed on my person, but for obvious reasons, could not be used. While the clone troopers were mostly equipped with rifles, the clones' equipment selection had borrowed heavily from the Mandalorians who frequently favored a two pistol rig, which meant some clones would be equipped with similar rigs. The DC-15 pistol the Clone Troopers began the war with would have been a single shot, breech loading pistol. At the time, a fairly cutting edge design. Most militaries would have been using far more temperamental, slower, muzzle loading designs or pre-blaster tech. The DC-17 had been introduced a few months into the war and was a substantial upgrade. It had a power pack capable of firing four shots. There was also a wheel that would change settings allowing a choice between four regular shots, two more potent shots or a single very potent shot instead. The gun would also scavenge. If one had fired three basic shots and turned up to middle power, rather than fail to fire, it would use whatever was left in the power pack. The DC-17, unlike it's predecessor, also had a stun setting which I would need.

I walked through the ship, a Class Nine container freighter with a thousand full sized shipping containers aboard, whose layout I had fully memorized. I found the first member of the crew, the Load Master. She was a matronly woman just buckling into her seat. She never saw me coming as I stunned her. I then proceeded to the pilot's cabin, carefully waiting till we had debarked from the station but before we had gone to hyperspace. The pilot and navigator, a pair of middle aged men, sat at their stations. I stunned them both from behind. One might have more crew on the ship, an engineer and a security person for example, but the Trade Federation was far too cheap for that.

I dragged the pilot from his seat and quickly recalculated for a different trip and jumped us out to hyperspace.

Once in hyperspace I dragged all three crew members to a storage closet, put binders on their wrists and ankles as well as black cloth bags over their heads. They would be in that closet for a few days. Not pleasant, but hardly life threatening. All the binders had the same key which I hung just outside the locked supply cabinet door.

I flew us to an empty pocket of deep intergalactic space that would do nicely.

I gave the freighter a quick once over and found nothing useful aboard. Then I went through her computer brain and found real gold.

In her happy little chosen for economy not for security or capability ship's computer brain was a listing of the entire Trade Federation password log. After all, if Nute Gunray came aboard and wanted to put his password in, the fates forefend that he wouldn't be able to do so. It was too good to be true. There were a few other tidbits, like the ship's entire navigation history and several hidden Trade Federation outposts. Not to mention, damning evidence of Federation complicity with the Separatists, but we were past that now.

I dumped the cargo then flew the freighter to a rendezvous with the Tontine and found her waiting right where she was supposed to be. I gave the freighter's memory a hard wipe, the Fed boys wouldn't need to know where their cargo had wandered off to. Then I cracked the power converter for the hyper drive. I had researched different injuries for this class of ship. The hyper-drive power converter was among the worst. Much more, and she wouldn't be worth salvaging. As it was, she would take hundreds of hours of dry dock time as well as thousands of man hours and a mountain of Credits to fix. I could think of no one more deserving of being kicked when they were down than the Trade Federation.

Just before I was done on board, I lit the subspace beacon. That would let everyone know where the ship was. I boarded the Tontine and headed back to the cargo.

As my crew and I sifted the cargo and began to contact the various resellers we would use, I watched the news reports out of curiosity. The ship and crew had been found. The crew was shaken up, which made sense, they had been stunned and left in that closet for three days by the time they had been found. The crew was taken for medical care, but would be okay. The ship was towed to a dry dock, cut open to repair, sucked up huge quantities of Credits before being scrapped. Apparently, they cracked the hyper-drive converter further while trying to fix it. That couldn't have gone better.

I sold the cargo to various grey marketeers. They were particularly eager for the one million tablets. Some tablets would be delivered early, before the release date for a super premium. Most would be released after at a discount that should not exist. With the other cargo sold, I cleared eight hundred million credits. I would never have to worry about money again, not that I had worried much before.

I sent Master Arunx one of the new holo tablets. The Intelligence department always got such leftover scrap, I thought he would enjoy it. I would have sent one to Master Palatex, but I don't think he would have noticed, so I just sent him a bunch of the flowers he liked to eat.

I started working the passwords I had obtained. The Feddys didn't even seem to realize that I had them. It took a few weeks, but I was all through the Big Five's interconnected computer systems. I would now get updates when a password in the system was added or changed.

Functionally, it gave me a front row seat for the ensuing chaos. The Techno Union's carefully laid out plan was in shambles. The appearance that some could get the tablets early or at a discount shattered the idea of the orderly, no discount release. The result being they couldn't hold their price line. They lost trillions. The Banking Clan, which never liked to pay anything, had to pay the manifest value which was a bitter drink of water for them. Further, the manifest value depended of the value of the tablets. If the tablets were worth the thousand Credits a copy the Techno Union said they were, than the value of the cargo was over one billion Credits. If the value of the tablets was below seven hundred Credits which was what they were fetching now street price, then the manifest value was hundreds of millions of Credits lower. Then there was a demand by the Techno Union that insurance was supposed to cover business losses. The Banking Clan wasn't going to pay the trillions lost. Daggers came out and began to be used in the dark. The Corporate Alliance was the least dinged, but controlled many of the retail establishments that had paid top credit for the tablets and were left holding a huge amount of inventory which had to be sold at a loss. All of them slammed the Trade Federation.

The Feddys, desperate to recover any portion of the cargo or the funds from their sale, relentlessly investigated. It was bad news for the Speckled Slugs. The Aqualish developed an unfounded reputation for toughness under torture. Trade Fed bounty hunters collected up the Speckled Slugs and tried to torture the location of the cargo out of them. The individual Slugs gave up their fellow Speckled Slugs, where their grandma's hid their jewelry and everything else they knew, but couldn't give up the cargo. The Aqualish would benefit for years from the reduced organized crime they would suffer.

It was very good work if I do say so myself.

I spent the next few months trying to find another target. Unfortunately, the tablets had been a unique leverage opportunity. Eventually, I found another cargo with some high value merchandise.

The script went almost exactly the same. I had a different set of clothes, which fit in equally poorly. It was another shabby back space station. I took on food, fuel and incidentals. This time the freighter was hijacked by a Huk Whip Toad. It would be a bad time to be a Huk Whip Toad.

The event provoked all the same infighting as the last. I was gratified to see that wounds from the infighting over the last freighter that were just starting to scar over uneasily were torn open anew.

The small personal electronics market has a well defined grey market which made it easy to sell the first cargo. This cargo was more varied. I came to arrangements with a number of resellers over time to sell the cargo. If I dumped it too quickly, it would be obvious where it came from. I ran into problems.

First of all, the Consular ship really wasn't designed for hauling cargo. In a galaxy full of small freighters, every time I needed to move cargo from my deep space hidey hole, it was awkward. My engineer droid was literally welding and un-welding the shipping containers from the belly of the ship. This meant the ship could not land in the normal way and was not balanced right for travel.

I was meeting with some Gamorreans to sell three shipping containers of liquor at another run down back space station. They had a rented cargo bay with an adjacent dock for their ship. I went in my latest suit of still not even close to inconspicuous clothing to complete the transaction. When I got there, I found five gamorreans working up a sweat moving around cargo and one boss with the box full of credits I expected.

"Let's have the credits and I can have the shipping containers unloaded into the bay or transferred directly to your ship, whatever you prefer." I began.

"Ooog oud wuk.." began the boss. Luckily my new tablet had a voder

"…Pay you money. How funny. I will laugh about this as I drink your liquor." The voder translated.

That didn't sound promising.

An inkling of the force had me drop just as blaster fire passed through the space I had just been standing in. There were three Gamorreans on my left, two on my right and the boss before me. A quick flick of the force picked up the three on my left and slammed them into the wall. I had my pistol in my hand and traded a shot with one on my right as I scrunched down behind a shipping container.

A blast went over my head. It was a very powerful blast, at least as strong as my DC-17's single shot setting. The boss had fired again. The boss had some kind of hand cannon. I was sure it was single shot, but it obviously wasn't. I found a piece of hard heavy cargo and a flick of the Force cracked it against the Boss' hard head. The box's durasteel won over the Boss' thick skull, just.

Then it was a simple matter. I lifted each of the Gamorreans on my right and shot them. Reloaded. Went to the Boss and the three on my left and shot them. If their guns worked, I shot them with their own guns as well. I swept the room with my Force enhanced senses, there was nothing but me left alive. There were no cameras. Likely the Gamorrean boss wouldn't want a record of my murder.

Their ship was docked right there on the cargo bay so I used a simple one man load lifter to put them back on their ship. I took the box of Credits they had on the dock. I swept their ship, not much, but there was an even bigger chest of Credits. I took that. In a gesture to civilized ways they had a ten thousand Credit line of credit with a current balance of eight hundred ninety three Credits. I maxed the account and moved the funds to an untraceable credit stick. I swept the cargo bay. I actually found some valuable and saleable cargo mixed in with the dross. I took one thing for myself. I put the Credits and valuable cargo in a single full sized shipping container. I had my engineer droid come collect the container and attach it, uncomfortably, to the Tontine and we left.

Only when we were two hyper jumps away did I give myself a moment to collapse. It had been, literally, my first taste of combat, of personal violence and it had been terrifying. Thank the Force, I had functioned and prevailed. I was acutely aware that the Boss had gotten off two shots at me. I felt the first shot was a very low odds shot as I moved. The second, I was facing off to my right, behind a crate that protected my right. What had been my front and was now my left, where the Boss was standing unmolested and I had been wide open. The Boss had a clear shot and he blew it. I was so sure he had a single shot weapon and I had a second before he became a problem again. If the Boss hadn't been a bad shot I'd be a well done greasy spot on the side of one of those containers.

Once again, I'd received a proverbial kick in the gut trying to get me to wake up. "This is real!" It was telling me. "There is no safety net. If you want to play these games, BE PREPARED!"

I would start to pay attention.

What I kept for myself was the Boss' pistol. I found a chunk of empty rock with a barely breathable atmosphere and began to test it. The Boss pistol, or hand cannon, was a tube about as long as my forearm and a bit bigger around than my thumb. At each end, the tube's diameter would swell. At the front, the swell was for blast management and flash suppression. The rear swell was for the power cell. I liked the arrangement, a new power cell could be inserted by pushing it in till it clicked. When used up, the power cell could be easily spring ejected to make way for the next. Fast and easy loading. The Boss had a bandolier of the thick round power cells which I had taken as well.

The grip was about half way down the tube and was made for Gamorrean hands which actually worked well for me. In addition to pigmentation, my genetically engineered body had a couple of other significant differences from human standard. One was in the hands. A normal human hand has, from inside out, a thumb, a pointer finger, a long finger, a ring finger and a pinky. My hands looked like someone had put a mirror right after the long finger so I have a symmetrical hand with thumb, pointer, long, another long, another pointer and another thumb. In theory, grip strength is based on thumb strength. So having two thumbs should mean I have double the grip strength, which should be a significant advantage. Mostly I've found it makes getting a pair of gloves a total pain and most handles, like the one on the DC-17, feel a bit small.

When I test fired the Boss' pistol, I found the pistol had no stun setting, how civilized, or any other modulation. It could fire three blasts per power cell. I didn't have the equipment to measure, but it seemed each blast it fired was far more potent than the DC-17's maximum setting which would drain the DC-17's power cell in one shot.

For now, I would start carrying the Boss pistol when I was out and about. For self-defense, I didn't need a stun setting and the size would be intimidating to the stupid of the galaxy who might decide to start something.

With some reflection, I saw I had many mindsets getting in my way. One was a Jedi humbleness about material things. I shouldn't ask for better gear because there are only so many resources to go around. I must make do with what I have. These were the virtues instilled in me as youngling. They no longer made sense.

I was now self funding. I had eight hundred million credits. I was selling off the second cargo more slowly, so I wouldn't be obvious, but it was accumulating well and was likely to eventually total out at over five hundred million credits. It made sense for me to be able to use whatever came to hand, yes, but also having the best gear available to defend myself with seemed prudent. What if those Gamorreans had attacked me ship to ship? I'm a decent pilot and gunner, but not amazing. There are some gifted pilots in the Jedi order one would not want to tangle with, I'm not one of them.

Author's Note: Yes, the statistics I'm using for blasters do not reflect what you're reading in Wookiepedia. Please refer to my Author's Note at the beginning of the story. I am changing 'canon' since I believe there are ugly continuity errors in 'canon.' I am giving the capabilities of blasters based on what I believe would be reasonable for the time period.

Secondly, are the amounts my character is getting from these hijackings reasonable? Yes. In Star Wars Rebels Season 2 Episode 17 we finally get to see a Class Four Container Freighter. We might have imagined such ships must exist prior, having seen shipping containers, but this episode actually showed us one. We only get a few brief glimpses of the cargo, but my best guestimate was 200 full sized shipping containers. That freighter is called a "Class Four." I am describing these ships as larger "Class Nines," which carry 1000 containers. Typical container ships in our modern world carry 18,000-20,000 containers. A normal cargo value for each container in our real world is somewhere between $100,000 and $1,000,000. So my protagonist is cherry picking ships with unusually high value cargo, such as expensive liquor, and has found one with a average container value of $500,000. As a rule of thumb in my story, I'm assuming one Republic Credit has roughly equal buying power to one US Dollar.

My next step seemed clear. I would be going to Corellia.

To go to Corellia is pretty straight forward. It's a core world almost as populous as Coruscant. One must use only certain hyperspace routes and approaches arriving in very particular zones and vectors to the system or one will raise the immediate attention of the Corellian System Guard Fleet, particularly now, in a time of war, when Corellia is likely the second most valuable strategic target in the Republic.

Once arrived, one must immediately identify one's self to Space Route Traffic Control who will give you an initial vector pending your declared destination. One must take that course swiftly. In most systems, there is some astronomically small chance that another vessel arriving from hyperspace might hit you. Corellia space is so busy that it can happen.

Once you declare your destination, the SRTC will navigate a course for you which you will be expected to keep while maintaining awareness to avoid collision.

I took a recommended course to a low cost station that I could use for docking and basic services.

The course SRTC gave was efficient and I arrived at my berth smoothly and well. The station wasn't fancy, but it was better than the backspacers I had been visiting. It was nice to stretch my legs out of the ship around a space so much broader than my ship and so much more cosmopolitan than I had seen in almost a year. I found the displays and shops amazing. I felt like a total hayseed. Yes, I had lived on the home of ultimate cosmoplitaneity, Coruscant, but I had spent nearly all my time in the Temple. "Living in the Temple," was a well-known byword for not aware of what real life was like. My inability to pick reasonable clothes was an absolute testament to how well-crafted that phrase was.

I had a pleasant meal in a station restaurant that was actually clean, competent and modestly skillful. Then I repaired to my ship.

I had come to Corellia because I wanted to shop for a ship. The docking fee included access to several local HoloNets. While I was hooking up, I ordered a top off on fuel, might as well get it taken care of. I then went to my desk and started looking at the ships for sale. I looked, added all the available optional HoloNets and kept looking.

There were literally tens of thousands of ships available for sale. At any given moment there can be hundreds of thousands of ships in Corellia-space. For a major race or show, and Corellia is famous for it's Five Sabers race and it's huge Space Ship Show among other draws, there can be millions of ships in system. The ships available for sale ran the gamut from tiny little robot ships to mega freighters and capital military ships.

Author's Note: We are all aware of the Five Sabers race on Theron. My conceit is that the Five Sabers race is, actually, a series of races held in different places, one of which is Corellia.

I needed a little ship that I could live and do my work on. It would be convenient if it had the ability to move some cargo. Lastly, I wanted it to be tough enough that I'd have a reasonable chance if a bunch of geniuses like the Gamorreans tried something with me.

The station I was staying at was fairly centrally located and the ship dealerships were scattered in orbits throughout the system.

I'd pick a dealership that seemed to have a few likely choices, set an appointment to meet someone out there, then log on to SRTC and get my course.

At each sales yard, generally a registered orbit where ships would be parked hanging in space, I'd meet with the greasy sales being. I'd look over their ships to see if there was anything that seemed like a good idea. Put up with the sales being while it desperately tried to interest me in anything it had on its lot. Then I would leave and go dock at the nearest station. There were literally hundreds of stations like the one I had first visited and more dealerships in Corellia space.

I wasn't a good judge of ships and I knew it. I was probably looking right past good choices in favor of bad. One thing I did know was that the Tontine was over a hundred years old. Due to the refit, she wasn't creaky or falling apart, but she was antiquated. The hyper drive was slow, the engines weak, the shields and armor thin and piloting arrangements primitive. I'm sure by the standards of the times she was built, she was the cutting edge, but that moment had long since passed. I wanted something more up to date, that would give the best performance for size and weight.

Eventually, I ran into a Gozanti class armed transport. She had been made in a run for the Republic and was surplus. I figured the Republic fleet wouldn't be buying them if they weren't good ships. The fact that she was brand new, and had essentially up to date gear would be good.

The Gozanti was a Corellian Engineering Corporation product. CEC wasn't known for being super high performance or high tech, but they were known for producing solid, rugged, reliable ships for good value.

They wanted two hundred and twenty-nine thousand Credits for it.

"I'm pretty sure the Republic is paying around one fifty a copy for these things." I said adding, "After all it's a matter of public record."

I did know a little something about the interplay of economics and ship prices.

The somewhat haggard older female sales being replied in a raspy voice, "You don't have their procurement contract for large volume. Also, this is an uprated model, it has a variety of special features."

After a serious inspection by my engineer droid and me and then a brief test flight, we repaired to the sales being's office and negotiations began in earnest. In the end, I traded the Tontine and sixty thousand credits for the Gozanti. Which presented the problem that I would have to name the ship. After a little thought, I named her "Bearer."

As I complained about features in an effort to negotiate down the price, something the sales being said made me think, "You can always have an aftermarket firm redo things."

"There are firms that do that?" I asked.

"Yes." She answered in a tone that implied she thought I was brain damaged.

"Do you have contact information for some of these firms your dealership recommends?" I asked.

"Yes, of course." She replied.

"I'll take that contact information with my closing docs." I answered.

The sales being was kind enough to include the info.

My ten droids efficiently moved me out of the Tontine and onto Bearer and we then took her for a bit of a joyride. I got a warning from SRTC. Bearer was definitely bigger and heavier than Tontine but she had way more power. On the other hand, her turns were far more ponderous. I wasn't going to be taking on any Separatist battle fleets, but she could definitely accelerate better and take a hit. The Tontine always felt like it was ready to shatter like old thin glass.

I started contacting the firms.

Corellian Proformance Corp had a very professional and trustworthy seeming spokesman who promised all sorts of amazing upgrades for very reasonable prices. He took me on a virtual tour of a very shiny, new looking dry dock. My insight said he intended to do some minor cosmetic changes and take my money. I didn't call him back.

Corellian High Performance Corporation had a young, but very earnest spokesman who promised even more remarkable cutting edge options. My insight said he had no idea what he was doing, but he was hoping I'd hire him and maybe he could learn on the job. I told him I'd think about it.

The third outfit, Corellian Specialty Ship Yard Corporation had a spokesman, who turned out to be the firm owner and yard manager. He was gruff, plain spoken, made much more modest promises and quoted substantially higher prices. My insight said he believed he could deliver everything he promised. He also didn't think he would get the work because he was sure I would be shined on by his dishonest competitors. I could tell he was a man for whom integrity was the cornerstone of who he was.

I hired Corellian Specialty Ship Yard Corporation and thus met Corbeen Oorff. Corbeen was the owner, yard manager and chief designer. Little did I know that as he built my ship he would be building me.

When we sat down to our first meeting in his cluttered, modestly shabby office across his design table he pulled up the schematic drawings for the Gozanti. I described what I wanted to do.

Corbeen folded his arms and leaned back from the table. He definitely seemed to think this was a bad idea.

"Is this a bad idea? Is this not the right ship to do this with? If you think there's something better?" I asked.

"No, this is a good choice." He answered.

"Then what's the problem?" I asked.

"I'm not sure you understand how much this will all cost." He answered resignedly after a few moments.

"How much will it cost?" I asked now curious.

"Well just what we've been talking about will probably be over a million credits and we haven't even talked about any creature comforts or decorating." He said with some trepidation.

"Will you charge me a fair price for the work?" I asked.

"Well yes, of course." He answered.

"The parts, you'll get me a good price on those?" I asked.

"Basically, you pay cost." He answered.

"You'll do good work. You'll keep me high on the priority list, get my work done in a timely manner?"

"We always do good work. We just completed our last job. As soon as we agree on a design and price work will commence."

"Let me be perfectly candid, Credits I have. I have only one life, I want the best stuff I can get. If I could figure out a way to spend more, I would be happy to do so. All I ask is that you do good work and give me the benefit of your experience and I'll be happy." I tried to state clearly.

That would begin an ongoing issue where Corbeen would be worried about wasting my money. Can't blame someone for being too concerned about doing a good job.

We got to work on the design and I got all excited about what I wanted, "We can add more blasters, more shields, bigger engines, more grav plate…"

Corbeen waived his hands, "Slow down. We can do all those things, but what you really need is more power."

"More power?" I asked.

"Yes. We could add more guns, but if you have no power to fire them they would just be very expensive dead weight, same for shields, you'd be better off with fewer shield generators and more power to rebuild the shields faster. We can add all that hardware, but after we add more power." Corbeen explained.

"Oh, okay. Let's get some more power." I replied.

The Gozanti ended up giving up a third of her internal cargo bay for more power but it was worth every cubic centimeter.

As we settled on the design which seemed to have no part of the ship not being ripped to shreds and rebuilt. I asked Corbeen, "Do we really need the ship? It seems like we're practically building the ship from scratch?"

"No. It still makes sense to use the Gozanti. We're still using a huge amount of the structure and ship's systems." Corbeen answered.

I then asked further, "Could you build a ship from scratch? Do you have the facilities?"

"Yes, we do. But it would be a lot more expensive and it wouldn't add much to performance." Corbeen explained.

That put an itch in the back of my head, but we continued.

As we began to settle on design, something became apparent to me.

"I won't be able to live in the ship while this work is going on, will I?" I asked.

"No, no you won't." Corbeen answered.

"Do you have any suggestions where I could stay?" I asked.

"Well, that depends on what you want to do while the work is ongoing."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"You seem like you have a few Credits to rub together." He said.

"I suppose I do." I answered.

"You could drop yourself into a pleasure center for a few months." He suggested hesitantly.

"That doesn't really appeal to me. I'd like to do something more constructive with my time." I replied.

"You ever had any instruction in ship to ship combat?" He asked.

"No, I haven't." I answered honestly.

"We're talking about adding a lot of firepower to this bucket, presumably because you're concerned you might get in a scrap. Maybe you should do something about the most important part." He said in a tone that implied I should know what that was.

"The most important part?" I asked.

"You, the pilot." He answered.

"Oh. What do you have in mind?" I asked.

"Well, you don't even have a pilot or a captain's license. I have a buddy, runs a good school. You could spend some time there, get some training. I'm sure they could help you get some convenient quarters." He suggested.

"That sounds like a good idea." I said with real feeling.

We talked with Corbeen's friend, Captain Pagot. He ran a private flight school. It turned out they had a new class starting in a week, I arranged tuition and registration. Corbeen gave me a lift in his in-system runabout to the school's home, Upsalon Station.

The stations I had stayed on up till now had been small. Docking facilities for, at most, a few dozen ships. They would have a few businesses, mostly catering to a transient population of ships, fuel, sundries, food, etc. Places one could dock for a night or two, take care of some basic needs, maybe swap a cargo and be on your way.

Upsalon was in a different class. There were over four million inhabitants living on Upsalon at any given moment. It was a city floating in space. Certainly, there were a number of ships coming and going, picking up and delivering cargoes and doing what I had been doing on the little stations. The difference was in costs. Docking fees would be lower on a small station, but nearly all services would be more expensive. If one needed more extensive services, it would make sense to come to a station like Upsalon. But that was only part of the story, Upsalon was a city in it's own right. Whatever businesses, industries and services one might expect in a city, one would likely find here. Including, in this case, a flight school.

After we docked, Corbeen walked me over to the school.

"Welcome to High Reaches Flight School Mr. Kazan." Captain Pagot said as he shook my hand, after we had arrived. I had used an ID that was essentially correct but left out that I was Jedi. It was one of several IDs I'd been provided before leaving the Temple and a typical security measure, particularly in these dangerous times.

More to Corbeen, he continued, "He'll need some basics."

Corbeen replied, "We have a few days, he'll be ready."

Then we went and looked at some quarters that were available to rent. There were decent, but not terribly nice quarters a substantial walk from the school and very nice quarters that were way too large near the school. Obviously, the quarters near the school cost more than twice as much.

"They're nearer the school." I justified to Corbeen and more to myself. It was so against the grain to spend money unnecessarily on one's self, but I took the nicer quarters.

We then went back to Corbeen's in-system runabout and got my gear. Mostly it was the droids, my personal things still would fill a small satchel, though that was about to change.

We used my engineer droid to tug a rented hover platform with all my other droids and my sundries and unpacked them into my new quarters.

I had offered Corbeen my engineer droid for work on the ship but he had replied, "It'll just get in the way."

"We need to get you a flight suit and some other things." Corbeen said as we got everything settled.

He took me to a nearby shop that provided pressurized flight suits. One could buy a decent off the shelf suit for a few hundred credits. I would need custom which would cost over a thousand. I would need custom for the obvious reason that my hands weren't standard human hands.

I also had one other major difference from human standard; I had an extra set of arms. Yes, I should have mentioned them by now. Maybe it sounds cool, but, really they mostly get in the way. There are very few tasks that one can't do with two hands that one can do with four. Mostly I just let those hands hang under my cloak. I'm sure the extra arms were what got me dropped in the "exotic" bucket. I'm sure they have caused me far more trouble than they have ever helped. As, for example, in the current moment, where they were costing me another seven hundred plus Credits.

Since I was getting custom work, for the first time since my childhood, the gloves would match my hands. There were a variety of materials choices for the suit. It would have been easy to pick the cheapest. I ended up splurging on the most comfortable and best looking which also happened to be the most expensive. I justified my choice because the better material was supposed to make the suit move better, would also be very resilient and even offer some modest armor protection. It was an investment.

"Won't save you from a blaster to the chest, but could help with a lot of other stuff, like frags." The suit tailor said. I'd here that a lot.

I was about to opt for the cheapest color, color of the Jedi, when instead I opted for a suit with royal blue on the right and forest green on the left. A little showy, but I would look like a liveried employee at a casual glance, and, to be honest, I liked those colors. I kept the boots all blue. It would take them a couple days to make the suit, but I should have it for class.

Corbeen then took me to the next shop over. Apparently, pilots liked to wear chest comps and I would need to have one for class. So I bought the fanciest one. They gave me a basic once over of how it worked. And then off to the next store.

I would need a helmet. This was a real test. My head's coloring may be unusual with mahogany skin and forest green hair, but the size is pretty normal. The Jedi thing to do would be to buy a basic, economical helmet. I bought the super high quality, lightweight helmet. Most helmets had visors for eye protection made of plex; this one projected a force shield and would work with some advanced avionics systems to project a HUD. Yes, it was higher performance, but I'm sure the extravagance would be frowned upon in the Temple.

Corbeen then took me from that hall/street to another not too far away. It was a gunsmith.

"Show him your blaster." Corbeen said.

A bit puzzled, I pulled out my blaster and showed it to the wizened gentleman behind the counter.

The smith pulled the blaster apart and said, "I'd recommend some upgrades."

We discussed it for a while and I basically gave him carte blanche. He would add a modulator. The modulator would allow me to turn the potency of fire up and down, like I'd been able to do on the DC-17. It would also add a stun setting. Apparently, the firing mechanism, in the pistol grip, was a bit basic and unreliable. So we put in a state of the art system. Since the state of the art was moving fast, I'd have to keep an eye on that. He also put in a substantially better focus tube that would help accuracy and deliver more energy to target. We came up with a default setting substantially below what the full power blast had been, but well above the middle setting on the DC-17. I'd potentially be able to hit targets further away and with more accuracy. I'd also get a lot more shots. As power ran out, it would scavenge like the DC-17. He would also make me a new grip, one customized to my unique grip. It would be done in a few days.

The smith liked my power cells, "These are pretty good, have a lot of capacity and look pretty stable. If you need more some time, just let me know. I should be able to fab them up."

That was good. I liked the bandolier I had taken from the Gamorrean. It had an intimidating savage look to it and it was very convenient. It had a single power tap. I could plug the whole thing in with a single plug and it would recharge each cell, one by one, from top to bottom.

Then Corbeen took me to a clothing tailor. I got a couple sets of clothes that would make me look like a prosperous but hard working trader and one set of formal clothes. I also got a really nice, long, very dark green suede coat. I actually felt cool.

The tailor also reworked the bandolier. Without messing up the internal charger, he stabilized the leather it was made from, which was good because I was worried it might rot. Then he refit the bandolier to my frame. He also added a couple durasteel cords to reinforce it.

We went by my quarters after that. The housekeeping droid had done a good job getting things together. I got into a set of my new clothes, strapped on the DC-17, it wouldn't do to appear unarmed, and pulled the coat back on. Then Corbeen and I went out for dinner at the best restaurant on the station, the Tipsy Squire.

Over dinner, Corbeen added, "When you get your blaster back, take it to the tailor, he'll make you a decent holster and belt to wear it around. Then take it back to the gunsmith, he has a range. Practice until you can use it."

"I really appreciate all this advice. Is there anything I can do to repay you?" I replied.

"Just don't be a scum sucking pirate and don't get yourself killed." Corbeen answered.

"The first is easy. Second, well, I'll do my best." I answered smiling.

Did I just lie to Corbeen? I was a pirate. I'd hijacked two cargoes already and my plans were to hijack more. I was doing my best to avoid killing innocents. The people I was hurting deserved to be hurt, and far more importantly, were hurting others. The more I hurt them, the fewer others would be hurt. But it was a fine line I was drawing. I might be fighting for the Republic, but I had no Letter of Marque.

In an effort to learn a bit more about Corbeen I asked, "What got you into ship building?"

He looked up at me from eating his steak and began to talk, "I've always been fascinated by space vessels, ever since I was a kid. Learned all the math and tech I could. Then, when I turned eighteen, I joined the System Guard as a Machinist's Mate. I worked my way up to Master Chief Engineer. I was itching to get out of Corellia space and then the Mandalorian Wars hit. I volunteered to go into action."

When the hyper aggressive and militaristic Mandalorians had invaded the rest of the galaxy with a well prepared and equipped military, the Senate had responded as many had expected the Senate to respond this time, by asking member governments to submit contingents of troops and ships to the fight. All contingents had been placed under Jedi supreme command. It hadn't been a perfect arrangement. Individual governments had pulled and re-committed forces at random intervals, there was all sorts of fussing about who should be superior to who, accusations that one contingent's commander had let another's be used as cannon fodder, etc. In the end though, it had worked. The Senate and Republic had been strengthened. Corellia, with a strong, professional standing military had been one of the backbones of the force. Among the cynical there was speculation that Corellia had wanted to show off her warships to potential clients. As Corellia had pulled their pledged force together, they had asked for volunteers. Volunteers had filled out most, but not all the contingent. I understood how Corbeen must have felt as I'm sure it must have been similar to how I felt when I was going to Plynth.

Author's Note: I am once again playing fast and loose with canon. Yes the Mandalorian Wars were supposed to have happened long ago. Since that breaks continuity with the original trilogy, I'm changing it. I also feel it makes sense for the galaxy to have dust ups every 30-50 years. Even if it wasn't the Mandalorian Wars, even if it didn't engulf the whole galaxy, I would imagine there would be regional wars like the one we see in The Phantom Menace between the Trade Federation and Naboo. Corbeen is telling the story of his war. The exact galactic struggle does not have to be clear. I would like to fix canon, so that it would be the Mandalorian Wars so that s what's in my story.

Corbeen continued, "We got into some real bad situations, especially early in the war when we had no idea what we were doing. Lot of times I was sure we weren't gonna make it. I don't know how many times we survived because I came up with some hair brain scheme modification to the ship which saved our bacon."

Corbeen stopped for a moment, lost in some memories. I didn't want him lost in some ugly place when this was supposed to be a happy meal. I motioned to the waiter to refill our wineglasses.

When the glasses were filled, I raised my glass and said, "A toast to all the comrades who will never come home."

Corbeen clinked his glass to mine and said, "To friends long gone, but still with us in our hearts."

After a moment when Corbeen seemed more back in the moment, I asked, "So what happened after the war?"

Corbeen smiled and continued, "Well, I'd had enough of interstellar space by then. I met a girl. Seemed like a good time to settle down. I figured I could do some of the modifications I'd figured out during the war to other people's ships. At first business was good. Not a lot of people doing what I was doing, especially with my resume. I was pretty successful. Built my shipyard. Raised my kids. Other people saw what I was doing and the Proformances of the world got into the business and things haven't been so great."

"Why keep at it then?" I asked.

"My kids are all raised, been put through advanced educations and are reasonably successful. But there are a lot of grandkids and my kids need help. Also, I got a lot of employees. They depend on this job. One of the things that's kept me in business over the years is that I've had a keen eye for talent and integrity. Not always perfect, but pretty good. Lot of my employees have shaky backgrounds or unusual conditions, wouldn't fit in so good in a more straight laced kind of place."

"I have a lot of capital and intend to build up a fleet. I'll need a good business partner. Should work out well." I said.

"You angling for some kind of discount?" He asked.

"No." I answered.

"That's my kind of business partner." He answered smiling.

Despite offering repeatedly to let him stay at my quarters, he insisted on sleeping in his runabout and then heading back to his yard in the morning.

I didn't have much to do the next day so I did some intense physical exercises. Then I spent the rest of the day pre-reading the class materials. Apparently, there was a lot more to piloting a ship than pointing the nose in the general direction one wanted to go. Captains were required to know a wide variety of regulations which directly reflected safe and responsible ship handling and operation. Normally, the basic piloting class took four weeks and the basic Captain's class took six. In a fairly common combination, High Reaches had an eight week class that should result in licenses for both. A Corellian Pilot's and Captain's license were held in high esteem through much of the galaxy. These classes would hardly make me a super expert, there were people who got post-secondary educations in Piloting and Captaining. Pilots who competed in serious Five Sabers competitions had more than four weeks of training under their belts. However, this class would get me a license and would be a strong step in the right direction.

Upsalon also had hundreds of restaurants and food carts. It was a pleasant feeling to be able to walk around the station knowing my clothing looked normal and eat food that hadn't been prepared by my house keeping droid in the warmer. I did lay in some food in my quarters. I imagined that once classes started, there might be times when I was too tired to wander about.

The next day was about the same except I picked up my hand cannon. It was so reassuring holding a pistol grip made with my hand in mind. The smith let me go in his range behind the store and shoot it a few times. I'd only shot it a half dozen times before on that desert moonlet. It had kicked hard and sent a huge blast downrange. In the smith's range, on the new default setting, which I could tell was punching harder than the DC-17's two shot mode, it was smoother than the DC-17 on four shot. The first power cell finally ran dry two dozen shots later. The Boss pistol took a second to cycle between shots. I realized I'd have to learn that time so I could shoot at the maximum rate. After two dozen shots, I put in a new power cell and spun it up to max. I fired a couple shots at max, it was smoother and more focused but just as potent as it had been before, if not more so. The Gamorrean Boss had probably missed because of the recoil. I would need to practice.

The smith gave me a sack which I put the blaster in and I went to the clothing tailor. It was a funny bit of protocol. It seemed like nearly everyone went around armed. This didn't seem to bother anyone. Also, I noticed there was very little crime and everyone was very polite. However, if someone had a weapon in their hand, people got nervous fast. So carrying the pistol in hand two doors over to the tailor was out of the question.

I handed the tailor the pistol and he started cutting leather to make a traditional Corellian pistol belt and holster. The Corellians liked wide leather belts and big shiny buckles. Since half the point of wearing a side arm was to warn the stupid of the universe you were armed and messing with you would be a bad idea, it made sense. We worked on the exact fit because I wanted a compromise where upper and lower arm hand could reach it. We found a good balance spot which put the holster a little lower than it might normally sit.

Then the tailor gestured to a wall where he had a variety of belt buckles, "You'll have to pick one for the belt."

I looked. I was about to pick a cheap brass one when something pulled back my hand. That was the Force at work if I had ever felt it. I took a moment, closed my eyes and let the Force flow through me. Suddenly I felt a buckle in my hand. I opened my eyes and found my hand had closed on a buckle made of durasteel with a gold harp design inlaid.

I took the buckle to the tailor who said, "Good choice. The belt should be ready tomorrow."

I picked up the flight suit the next day. It fit like a glove.

I asked the flight suit guy, "Who makes armor on this station?"

He recommended me to someone a few doors down. I did a quick check with Corbeen who said, "He's good, but if money is no object, try Piccolo's towards the station center."

"Is their stuff prettier, or does it actually protect better?" I asked.

"Both." Corbeen answered.

"Then I guess we all have to make sacrifices for quality." I replied.

I tracked down Piccolo's. It had a fancy boutique quality mixed with some very harsh functionality.

"As long as it's good." I thought.

"Welcome to Piccolo's" I was greeted by a short smiling Besalisk wearing large optics.

"I need some armor. I heard this is the place." I said with more confidence than I felt.

"We would be happy to try and meet your needs." Piccolo answered.

I explained what I needed. I started with calf/foot armor.

We went over available protective materials.

"Which material gives the strongest protection?" I asked.

"This new exotic ceramic, Ceramskin, is a substantial step up protection-wise while also being lighter than the next best choice. Of course, for quality, you must accept it is also a substantial premium over the next most expensive material which is not considered affordable by most."

"Then that's what I want." I said matter of factly.

I had Piccolo make me the leg/foot pieces in Ceramskin, but colored chocolate leather brown. It seemed like one of the few luxuries the Jedi allowed themselves were those beautiful chocolate brown leather boots. Wearing this leg armor would remind me of them.

I got forearm/hand armor that covered the whole forearm and the back of the hands and fingers. I left my fingertips uncovered as I wanted to maintain manual dexterity. My upper arms got royal blue metallic and my lower arms got dark green metallic.

I also got a matte black chest piece.

It would all be custom fitted to me, particularly the gloves so I'd have to come back in a week. How much did it cost? A lot more than the flight suit. Eventually, I'd have the foot/calf armor and flight suit modified so the armor could be joined in and replace the stock flight suit footwear. This allowed me to keep the flight suit's pressure suit capabilities while also being armored. That would happen after class finished.

The day before the class I had the whole kit assembled and I wore it in my quarters in front of the mirror. It looked good. I moved well. I was pleased.

I woke up bright and early the next morning.

I dressed in my flight suit. Buckled on my gun belt. I would be leaving my coat and armor behind, which meant the saber had to stay behind as well, which made me feel naked, but there was no secure, discreet way to carry it in just the flight suit. My chest comp was mounted to my front. My helmet was in the carry bag it came with. I had a really late model holo tablet, you can guess where that came from.

I was also really unused to walking out with my lower arms showing so prominently. I'd always harbored a deep fear of being seen as a freak for having an extra pair of arms. At first it was terrifying to go out with all arms prominently displayed by the flight suit, then it was incredibly liberating. I think it helped that there was a large minority of Besalisks in Corellia-space and that made extra arms more normal. I felt another weird nonsense leash I had put on myself snapped.

I walked over to class. There were four other students. I noticed they were all turned out much as I was, though my equipment was newer and fancier. Class was pleasant. Some mornings or afternoons, we alternated, there was practical flying. The other time was devoted to classroom instruction.

I settled into a routine. I found a nice caf diner near my quarters where I would have breakfast each day. My civilization was likely in the same lineage as Corellia as their breakfast food is very similar to what I had growing up.

Sometimes I would eat with my fellow students. I tried to be sociable, but since there was so little of my life I could discuss, it was hard. Part of Jedi training is in being a spiritual guide, I leaned on that some. The other students were all human, three women who wanted to start a small shipping company and needed the qualifications. The other male student, Dak, was a young guy who already had a wife and baby, Dak Jr., back on Corellia Prime. Dak was being hired as a pilot and his training was being covered by his company which was nice, but as he put it, "It's a little scary, I've never been good with books and if I don't pass, not only will I not be hired, I'll have to pay the tuition back. Which I can't afford."

We all would hang out together at lunch time and study. I would also study with Dak after school many evenings. I never had much trouble with books and this was no exception, but I did have to keep up on the reading and exercises. One or more of the female students would frequently join us both for studying and meals.

On some evenings and weekends I went to the Gunsmith's.

Now that I had my holster, the smith went through some basic drills with me. The smith might have looked old and wizened, but he was very spry. The smooth, precise way he drew his pistol, a very state of the art, highly modified DL, reminded me of the way Jedi masters moved with their sabers. He showed me how to hold the pistol and fire. Then he left me to it. I'd start shooting and swapping hands. I wanted to be competent with all four hands. I drilled and fired, practicing reloads, drawing and shooting with different hands.

On the first day the smith had mentioned, "A skilled shooter will practice drawing one hundred times each morning and evening."

So that got added to my exercise routine, drawing one hundred times with each hand every morning and evening.

At school I started piloting in a new way. Walking around with my extra arms and people not responding like it was anything crazy was giving me confidence. We practiced piloting in several different ships. Most ships had some combination of hands on throttle and stick, or HOTAS and buttons on a console. A normal two-armed pilot would constantly be switching back and forth between the two. I kept my upper arms on the HOTAS and used my lower arms and hands to operate the console and my chest comp. I had to keep switching back and forth mentally, but it was still more elegant than only having two hands and a rare actual advantage to having extra hands. How remarkable!

After two weeks I contacted Corbeen to talk about how my ship was doing. I'd come up with a couple questions. At first I made small talk, telling him about class and how I had also been practicing at the pistol range. Corbeen listened patiently like he was hearing the adventures of a small child. Corbeen gave me a rundown on what had been done so far, mostly disassembly. We talked about the various control arrangements I'd been working with in class.

"The Gozanti doesn't have a HOTAS, can we change out controls to add them?" I asked.

"The pilot's controls were one area where we expected to stay with stock gear. I can get what you want, but it will cost more and take more time." Corbeen replied.

"Do it." I answered.

"I'll do some looking and figuring and get you a price." He replied.

After explaining the value of more power, Corbeen had reviewed different energizer systems that were available. He preferred the products of a particular company, a subsidiary of CEC. They had different models in the size/capacity line appropriate for Bearer which ranged from most economical, Level One, to highest cost/performance, Level Seven. The Gozanti currently had the equivalent of Level One, we would be putting in a Level Seven. However, as I reviewed the company's product offerings, I had found they had something called a 'ThunderCat' model. The ThunderCat was twice as big and gave four times the power of the Level Seven. It also cost ten times as much.

"I looked at power systems and noticed there was something called a 'ThunderCat,' which I noticed we aren't using."

"I know about it. It's too big, you'd have to give up a third of the cargo bay and the central engine to fit it." Corbeen replied.

"Do it." I answered.

"I'll do some looking and figuring and get you a price." He replied.

Which is how I lost a third of my internal cargo bay. I wasn't worried about that. The Gozanti had a big internal bay and I mostly wanted her for her external grav link she could use to haul full size containers. We would be installing bigger engines anyways. I wanted the power that TCat would give.

In the second week, as I was getting the basics of shooting down, the smith showed me how to use the Hogan's alley.

The Hogan's alley would project various scenarios on the back of the shooting range walls. It had difficulty settings ranging from not too hard one up to never been beat ten.

"What's this for?" I asked.

"Being able to shoot a non-moving target reliably is good. That probably makes you a better shot than nine out of ten fools in the galaxy who strap on a blaster. However, Force preserve you, should you ever have to draw that pistol in anger, you probably won't be shooting a clear, well marked target 3.5 meters in front of you. You'll be shooting in uncertain light at bits and pieces of moving targets as they duck behind cover and do other crazy things, like shoot at you. This training system forces you to be able to make that kind of shot," the smith explained.

It made sense and I started using it.

In the third week of class as we were sitting around eating and having one of our regular study sessions I talked a bit about practicing shooting in the Hogan's alley.

One of the three female students, Misa, said, "That sounds interesting. I'd like to check that out. Can I come with the next time you go?"

"Sure," I responded and we made arrangements.

Misa was probably the most studious of the three women and often was the academic anchor of the female side of the group. She was thin and pretty with creamy colored skin. She had light brown hair that fell just below her shoulders. The other two women were Claudia and Dana. Claudia was older and wiser, also taller, with short curly hair and skin the color of ebony which reminded me of my Mother. The youngest and fiercest was Dana with pale skin and close cropped short blond hair. Claudia could hold her own academically, but liked studying in a group, perhaps just for the social quality of it. Dana needed almost as much help as Dak.

The next time I went shooting, on the first day of the weekend, Misa came too. She was no pushover. She did really well on the Hogan's alley and obviously had more experience than I did. She gave me some good tips which required her, on several occasions, to put her arms around me.

After shooting we went to dinner. I had more wine than my normal single glass. I got the impression Misa did too, but the dinner was fun. She told me funny stories about growing up with three brothers. I tried to find anecdotes about growing up on an incredibly boring agro colony.

We ended up back at my quarters. What you might expect happened.

After that, Misa became a regular part of my schedule.

At the second time we were at dinner, she said, "What we did in your quarters…"

"Yes?" I prompted.

"You don't have a lot of experience do you?" She asked in a way that clearly sounded like she knew the answer.

"No, not really. Was it not good for you?" I inquired.

"You were fine, but tonight, would you mind if I showed you some things?" She asked nervously.

"No, not at all. I was, in fact, very much hoping you would show me some things again tonight." I said with a wink.

"That's great. A lot of guys have a lot of ego that can be easily bruised about such things." She answered. Clearly somewhat relieved.

"I assure you, I want you to come back to my quarters frequently. As such I am very motivated to learn whatever techniques will make that possibility more likely and I have absolutely no ego on the line in this matter." I answered quite honestly.

After that we had regular evenings together. We didn't always go to the Hogan's alley or to dinner, but every evening together we always did end up at my quarters.

"We could go to your quarters some time or some other location if you would prefer?" I asked.

"I'm sharing a single room with the other two girls, so my quarters would be awkward. I'm not sure what third location would be better, but if you come up with any ideas, let me know. You're quarters are really nice and really convenient."

At this point she had a drawer in my quarters and when she would come, she typically stayed the night. I was worrying an attachment would form. I was also worrying an attachment wouldn't form.

After four weeks of class I checked in with Corbeen again. We went through all the things we had the last time around. I had already approved the upgrades we had picked at that time. More equipment was being picked out and we were getting ready for assembly.

I had a question about the engines. Engines get more expensive exponentially as they grow in size linearly. In the perfect world of ship design and performance, one would have one or two engines of the ideal size. In the real world, the Corellian Corvette has eleven engines because two of the proper size would probably make her, literally, a hundred times more expensive. In the real world, most people had budgets and performance targets so adding more smaller engines, while a drain on overall potential performance, made the ship affordable. It was the same reason small snub fighters made sense, their small engines, so very cheap, meant you could have an equivalent tonnage of small fighters to capital ships for a fraction of the cost.

Like the energizers, Corbeen had a preferred engine supplier. The largest size they kept in regular production and in inventory was what we planned to use. I had discovered they had bigger engines that could be purchased, but had to be special ordered and would be built to order.

"I'd like to use the biggest engines possible, can we fit these larger special order engines?" I asked.

"Yes," He seemed to answer with some reluctance.

"Which ones would be the biggest we could possibly use?" I continued.

Corbeen showed me.

"Then lets order those." I said.

"Between the extra cost of the engines and building the extra structure needed, that will cost over a million more credits just for this?" Corbeen asked somewhat incredulously.

"Will it improve performance?" I asked back.

"Well yes." He answered.

"Then let's do it." I replied.

It was a pleasant sojourn on Upsalon station as I wended my way through the mysteries of piloting and captaining a space craft. At eight weeks we all graduated. Misa gave me a kiss good-bye and promised to stay in touch, but I knew she wouldn't.

I had scheduled another class directly after. Basic Space Combat Maneuvers.

This class was taught one on one. We would spend each morning discussing basic tactics and maneuver. Then we would go out in small craft and practice the maneuver. Then we'd come back in to discuss and review. I was piloting a small runabout, essentially the equivalent of a snub fighter. However, the principals of space combat, I was assured, remained the same for everything up to large capital ships. I was learning and getting better. Hopefully, if I was able to apply what I had learned while using the Force, I'd be able to survive.

I was also getting better with my pistol. Between Misa's tips, the Gunsmith's occasional coaching and regular practice I'd gotten pretty good. I liked the idea of using my lower right arm to handle the pistol while my upper arms would hold my saber, but I tried to make sure I was capable with any hand. I couldn't really practice all together. I couldn't use my saber at the range. I couldn't fire my pistol in my quarters. But I did what I could. I was still reading a lot of after action reports, particularly the ones where Jedi had died. I think every Jedi read those. Time and again, the themes of the report were the same, Jedi was overwhelmed, Jedi was caught by surprise or most popular, Jedi thought he was in formal light saber match at the Temple only to discover too late he was in a dirty street fight to the death.

I had survived my first test more due to the beneficence of the Force than my own skills. I hoped to be more ready the next time and I would not be above using the blaster if that was to my advantage.

I passed the second anniversary of the Civil War at the piloting school. Two years, and the war didn't seem any closer to a conclusion. I knew I was doing important things to make myself more ready. At the same time, I was painfully aware of how comfortable I was, while millions of sentient beings were dying and endless legions more were suffering. I had been thinking about another option.

I called Corbeen, "I need to buy a freighter."

"What?" he said.

"You heard me, I want to purchase a large bulk container freighter." I said.

"Why?" he answered.

"I told you, I want to start a fleet of freighters and run it as a business. Since the engines are causing so much delay, I won't be able to start my next class. I might as well start the freighter business while I'm waiting." I explained.

After my first four week Basic Space Combat Maneuver class, I had planned to take a second four week tutorial. Essentially we would use the new Bearer. Captain Pagot and the other space combat instructors at the school would take me out in her and we would develop maneuvers and tactics particularly suited to that ship. Unfortunately, my move with the engines had put a big delay into the schedule. The engines I wanted had to be built. The manufacturer, very happy for the order as larger engines were more expensive and a lot more profitable, raced them to the front of the line for production. But it would still take substantially longer than the stock engines would have needed for delivery, and we had waited till late in the rebuild to put the order in thanks to me. Further, the wings had to be rebuilt again so they would have the strength to hold the bigger burners. When Corbeen had told me about this I had reviewed structure with him on the whole ship. Corellian engineers are not tentative about putting in structure. Their ships have a deserved reputation for rugged durability which comes largely from their willingness to install a lot of structure. That said, one could always have more. This ship wasn't for milk runs, it would likely be used and abused. So we talked and Corbeen came up with options to strengthen the entire ship's structure, but that would take time too.

I'd also asked for the less easily accessed portion of the cargo bay to be set up as a shooting range with a holographic Hogan's alley so I could practice. I looked forward to being able to practice with saber and pistol. That wasn't a huge delay. The Hogan's alley projector wouldn't take up much space so we could still use that area for cargo in a pinch.

The other big delay was getting all the disparate systems to work together and work properly. One of the weaknesses of the stock Gozanti is that it has one weak shield projector. On the Bearer, that single system had been replaced with four high performance units that had been inconspicuously mounted under what might appear to be bulges in the hull. In theory, combined with the big ThunderCat energizer, they would massively toughen this bird. In practice, the four shield generators needed to work together and be able to be managed together. This was not simple or a gimme.

Corbeen and his boys had been working on it, but had not yet solved the problem.

"You know the shield problem we discussed before?" He asked.

"Yes?" I answered.

"Well we aren't closer to solving it and there are a lot of other systems that are having similar problems. We also expect as the gravitics come online and the new engines, they'll have similar problems." He answered.

"Do you have a suggestion?" I asked. He always had a suggestion.

"The ship needs a bigger brain." He answered.

Well there it was. Another big expensive piece we had been expecting to be able to use from the Gozanti had been the brain. Every ship had a big thinking brain that ran and coordinated systems. Reviewing the docs, the Gozanti used a particular brain from a particular manufacturer here in Corellia space. In that line of brains, it wasn't as simple as the energizer's one to seven, the brains were a lot more complicated to order than engines and had a lot of sub-differentials. Still, to state it simply, the Gozanti had come with a level one.

"The boys say we'll need a level three." Corbeen said.

"Just get the seven," I said, then added, "and see if they'll take back the one as a trade in."

"The seven will be more and I always do." He answered.

"Do it." I answered.

I could have gone for special order bigger brains but we'd had enough delays already.

Back to the conversation about the freighter, I continued, "I'll also need a crew. Do you have any ideas?" I asked.

"I'd ask Pagot about that, he's tied into that world pretty tight." Corbeen answered.

So I went to Pagot after classes on the first day that week and said, "I heard you're the man to talk to if someone needs to hire a freighter crew?"

We got to talking, as Pagot didn't have a need to know, I didn't want to explain everything to him, but I did say, "This may be a little more dangerous than normal work, but it would be about helping people in trouble. Do you have any suggestions?"

Pagot replied, "I'm not really sure what you're up to, but based on what you you've said, I think the best place to go for crew would be retired members of Public Safety and Rescue Services, the Corellian Security Fleet. The people who go into that work didn't generally do it because they wanted to be rich. They did it because they wanted to help people. Mostly they still do. They get a decent pension, but many would like to supplement that a bit."

That sounded good to me.

We discussed staffing levels a bit and Pagot agreed to ask around.

Corbeen and I had discussed what I was looking for in a freighter. Basically I wanted safe, durable, low cost of operation. Not too flashy. Obviously with his tastes, I suspected he would go for economy whereas I would be going more for performance and comfort, but he had forgotten more about space craft that afternoon than I would ever know, not to mention the ins and outs of buying craft here in Corellia space.

Pagot took me by runabout to Habara station which was well known as a place to buy and sell electronics. I needed to buy some droids. We shopped, I got a new astromech, engineering droid and cook/housekeeper for the freighter. I also bought three new information processing droids for myself. New business, new staff.

I took the three new info processing droids back to my quarters. The three were all top of the line products for dedicated info processing, new from the factory. Memory wipe should not be necessary. They each got a hard memory wipe anyway as well as a security check. I broke some circuits on each one that I thought could be security holes back to the manufacturer or a wily slicer. Then I focused their loyalty securely on me. I added one to each of my two existing teams, ship and money movement, then took one droid back from each team and, combined with the remaining new droid, set up a new team, commodity price monitoring. I knew there were trading houses and corporations that lived on commodity price monitoring; searching for that last millionth of a percent of advantage. They had hundreds and thousands of skilled employees that were very bright, very experienced, very motivated with extensive educations. They would be backed by many floors of the best thinking machines available and the fastest, broadest connections to the galactic HoloNets. I knew I was only looking to be an informed investor.

Corbeen had picked me out an IXp3 class freighter.

"When the p7 came out, the price of the p3 just collapsed, but it's still a perfectly good boat, low time in service. Has decades left of useful lifespan." Corbeen explained.

The IXp3 was a fairly standard large container freighter in the shipping business. There was a cockpit and crew facilities in a section in the front. Then a long thin spine leading to an engine. The thin spine was a place for stacking up standard shipping containers. The IXp3 could stack one thousand. She was also, essentially, modular while mostly one expected to stack containers, there was also a fuel tank that could be mounted on the spine that turned her into a fuel tanker. In theory, one could stack anything back there. Presumably the only limits were one's imagination and what would be profitable. One could imagine turning them into warships, but one would still be dealing with a slow engine and a fragile ship. One would probably be better off building the warship from the ground up. However, it wouldn't be the first time someone had repurposed a freighter to be a warship.

They wanted 1.2 million Credits. Corbeen and I went out to fetch it. I was expecting to pay 1.1. Corbeen negotiated and we got it for 750,000 instead.

We flew the IX home and pulled Bearer out of the yard and put the IX in.

I was impressed. Corbeen didn't ask for anything. So I transferred him one percent of the purchase price.

He called me and asked, "What is this payment?"

"Consider it a 'thank-you' for your help buying the freighter." I answered.

"You didn't need to do that." He replied.

"You didn't need to help. People get paid for the work you did. How is the work coming on the IX?" I answered with a question.

"She was in pretty good shape and had good maintenance records as we knew from our inspection. There were a handful of minor things to fix, some scheduled maintenance to be done and we'll give her a full cleaning once over. As for the other things, the shield should be installed soon and the modifications to the tug should be done soon as well. Also, we really need to have her formally re-registered and that needs a new name. Have any ideas?" He reported and inquired.

This time I had been thinking about a name so I had it ready, "Name her 'First Hope.'"

It wasn't normal for bulk freighters like this one to be armed or shielded. If you wanted them armed, you sent an armed escort. I wasn't planning on sending them in harm's way, but you never knew. As luck would have it, we had a small shield system left over from my Gozanti. We hadn't bought the new shields from Corellian Engineering Corporation, or CEC, and the firm I did buy them from didn't want the old shield as a trade in. CEC didn't want to buy the old shield back from us, so it was sitting in an unpressurized storage bay. There were a lot of situations you could run away from with weak or limited shields that would be death or capture without. So we were installing the shield on the Hope.

Corbeen helped me with every step of getting Hope into operation. Even when it came to rations, I was about to buy some randomly selected brand when he said, "No you should get these."

Batampte was a brand of rations Corbeen recommended and for once, it wasn't the cheapest brand, though it wasn't the most expensive either. I ordered some samples and checked their documentation. The emergency rations I'd eaten up till now had tasted like congealed dust. These tasted like bars of different flavored chewy dried fruit and meat. I would rather eat real food, but these bars would be so much better than the congealed dust I had found myself stuck with on the Tontine several times. The real meals were similarly better than the cheap trays of simu-food I'd been getting from other suppliers. The fun thing was that they had a selection of 271 different meals. Each crewman could select first come, first serve, whatever they wanted, from the onboard supply. The system would keep track of what they had eaten and re-order, rebalancing to make sure they had more of what was preferred and less of what wasn't. Since it kept track on a crewman by crewman basis, even if crews got shook up on a voyage by voyage basis, it could still keep up on re-orders. I hoped the crews appreciated the effort. I ordered enough emergency food for a crew of five for one galactic standard year. I ordered enough regular food for two months.

There were a lot of these sorts of expenses, fuel, furniture, incidentals like tools and fire suppression equipment. They added up to more than the cost of the ship.

By the time I completed Basic Space Combat, First Hope was ready to go and Captain Pagot had arranged a meeting for me with my perspective crew.

There was a Thomas for Captain/Pilot, Kory for Navigator/Co-Pilot/First Mate formerly of the Corellian Guard Fleet and Taran for Engineer formerly of Space Public Safety, essentially space cops. We also had Chris for Security, formerly of the Corellian System Guard Fleet Marines and Alex for Load Master formerly from Space Rescue.

Thomas started out, "I understand you need a crew for a freighter, but there are legal issues?"

"Yes," I answered then continued, "I need a crew for a freighter. While the plan I have is not completely legal, it is legal within Corellian law. In addition, the goal is not to hurt anyone, in fact, we would likely be saving quite a few lives."

Kory interjected, "That doesn't make any sense? Are you looking for a crew to smuggle spice?"

"No," I replied then continued, "Please just give me a few moments of your time and I will explain. The first thing I should explain, so we're on common ground, is the basics of interstellar commerce.

"If you were to want to ship something from one system to another, you would need to be in possession of a ship. You would need to be able to purchase the cargo, since few shippers or receivers out there will trust their valuable cargos to someone with a ship big enough to haul it away and a great big galaxy to run away into. That would mean you would need a line of credit, probably provided by a Banking Clan institution. That line of credit would require you to carry insurance, probably provided by a related Banking Clan institution. Which is fine under normal circumstances. You would also likely need to purchase a trade license as someone, most likely the Trade Federation, owns the trade route. Assuming when you got to the destination you could sell what you bought for more than you paid for it, then pay off the Banking Clans and the Trade Federation, pay all your other costs, like crew pay, fuel and maintenance, you make a profit and go on. Many traders make a living in just this way."

One reason the tablet grab had caused so much trouble was that the Trade Federation desperately wanted to start a new system where shippers shipped on consignment directly to buyers, meaning the transport company, them, would not have to own the cargo en route. This would mean the Trade Federation wouldn't have to keep huge sums of capital lying around at great expense and would substantially reduce it's risk. My hijacking had blown that dream apart, again, and it would likely take decades for them to put it back together. I didn't intend to give them that long.

I continued my pitch, "That all breaks down in wartime. As little as a single mysterious discharge from a pistol is enough to define entire sectors as war zones. Once a sector is described as a 'war zone,' all normal trade stops. Remember that insurance? The Banking Clan won't insure a run into a war zone which means you can't use that line of credit. Remember that trade license, you can't get that either. The Trade Federation won't sell you that license, their official explanation, they feel 'they would be liable if you would be harmed.'

"Now imagine for a moment, what would happen to Corellia if suddenly all normal interstellar trade stopped. Corellia is a big, wealthy, well diversified system. You could take it better than most. But there are poor people in this system. As the cost of basic necessities like food and medicine started going up, they would suffer. Some at the bottom might die."

Alex interjected, "But we could fight the embargo, Corellia has a lot of pull."

I could tell from Alex's interjection and the looks on the other's faces, they were listening and getting my point.

"I'm sure they do Alex, but imagine if they didn't. Try to visualize that. Okay?"

"Okay." Alex answered nodding.

Then I continued, "Now imagine a smaller system, with only a few billion residents. They're trying to do the right thing, living within their means. Maybe exporting legal spice or exotic fruit and buying things they need, like food and medicine, on the interstellar market.

"Unlike Corellia, whose wealth and power buy influence that would help end an embargo quickly, Alex, they have nothing. The cost of things like food goes up very fast. If you have 101% of food needed, food prices are stable. If you have 99%, prices don't go up 1%, they double, triple, go up ten times. You could draw lines in the population, below here suffering, below here starving, below here death. Those lines move up and up. Starvation starts immediately.

"The Trade Federation and Banking Clan do this on purpose. Soon the prices of basic commodities are a hundred times or a thousand times higher. The Feddys still pay the same low prices to whomever they buy from, then they gouge huge profits from the misery and death they, themselves, created.

"I intend to run cargos of food, medicine and other basic necessities to those systems. I don't need to worry about the Banking Clan because I will be self-funding. However, I won't be able to get a legal trade license in most cases. If you feel bad that the Trade Federation won't get their license fee, then please leave."

I gestured to the door. No one left.

I continued, "This won't be a charity case. When this war started, everyone expected a quick finish. It's been two years and I don't see any end in sight. Even if it ended tomorrow, by some miracle, I would have to imagine an extended period of galactic instability. This business needs to make a profit so it can be an ongoing concern.

"I'm asking you to take bigger risks than normal so pay is better than normal. I've researched what good pay is and what I'm offering is five times that. There are no benefits or pensions. You'll be out for a month and home for a month. If you want extra pay, you can ask for consecutive months. I have one ship and one crew now. By the time we come back, I'll have a second crew and will be adding more ships and more crews. There are thousands of worlds being ripped to shreds in just this way.

"All shipping companies need to do backhauls. On legal backhauls you'll get the normal pay showing on the forms I gave you. However, this company isn't about hauling cheap toys to Coruscant, it's about running supplies to worlds in desperate need. I would point out that example system, the fruit they normally export is rotting on their docks with no takers. That lost income is just as damaging to that society as the hiked up food prices. Taking a load of that fruit to a buyer system is just as big a help."

I paused for a moment and Thomas spoke up, "What if we do get in trouble?"

So I answered, "On this first run, I'll be going out with you. Most of the time, I'll be back here. If there's a choke point, i.e. someone is blocking traffic, I'll know and tell you. It'll be your job to navigate around them. I can't predict everything that could go wrong. Many of the systems may already be experiencing some instability. There could be pirates, Separatist commerce raiders, natural disasters. However, mostly these are long established trade routes, before you go, I'll have reputable buyers for the cargo. The point is that trade is perfectly safe to these places and is only being interrupted by Trade Federation manipulation. However, the pay reflects the enhanced level of risk.

"That said, if something does go wrong, if there is anything I can do, I will. If there's a fine or legal fees, I'll pay it. If you're in a bad spot, I'll mount a rescue mission. I'm not an angel of the living Force to strike down the forces of evil with a lightning bolt from my finger, but I'll do what I can. If you are in a hole, no matter what they say, as long as I'm around, I'll never stop trying to get you out."

I looked around. I could see they were all thinking it over. I wanted to start talking about how the Chancellor was traitor and we would be striking against the true enemies of the Republic and the galaxy. I knew though that argument would get as good a reception here as it did in the Council Chambers.

I did know that Corellia, in general, and very likely these men, were strong supporters of the Republic. Corellia didn't always go the way CEC's bread was buttered, but that was the way to bet and the CEC was making a fortune supplying ships to the Republic Fleet. There were more than a trillion Corellians so every political philosophy you could imagine was probably reflected somewhere in the system, but a clear majority were strong backers of the Republic. Even so, they would also be very concerned about corruption at the Republic's highest levels and it was an open secret that the Trade Federation and the Banking Clans were really Separatist supporters. They would be happy to take shots at them.

I could also feel their hearts and feel what good people they were. They actively yearned to help others and they knew this was just that opportunity. Two years of war had gone by and they had sat by impotently unable to have any direct effect. Now I was giving them that chance, with low risk and high pay. It was the seductive offer I hade planned it to be.

There were a few more questions, but they all signed on.

Having completed the Pilot and Captain class and passed the exam, I had received provisional certification. This did not mean I had full qualifications. In the great scheme of things, the knowledge was all that was valuable to me. In a flicker of ego that didn't make much sense and would not exactly be the Jedi way, I wanted the actual certification. I have no idea why, other than I had earned it by dint of hard work and study. I could say, "The formal certification could be useful later," but I knew that was an excuse. To complete the certification, one needed to do a run on an actual ship as crew, overseen by a Captain and Pilot with training certification authority. As the Force would have it, or Captain Pagot and I had made sure, Captains Thomas and Kory both had this authority, both being long time Captains in the Corellia Guard Fleet. As I would be a provisional license candidate and all formal crew of a commercial vessel would need to have an official rank, my rank for this trip would be Cadet Ensign.

Hope had one Captain's stateroom that Captain Thomas took. There were seven more state rooms that got taken first come, first serve. They were all fine and the cook/housekeeper droid I had purchased for the ship was new and doing excellent work keeping her tidy.

We picked up a cargo going to an agro world I'd already scheduled and took off. Corellia, being one of the great economies of the galaxy, always had an endless list of available outbound cargos.

I sat in a seat behind Thomas and Kory while they joked, hung out and attended to the ship's business to take on cargo and debark. It didn't seem to be a bad way to make a living. Once we were in hyperspace, and would so remain for 17 hours, they left me in the pilot's chair and went and took a break. Hyperspace time was quiet time. After a few hours Kory came back and spelled me and I got something to eat and took a nap.

It was all hands on deck for delivery. The agro world was a much smaller place. We went to one station and delivered the cargo. Once I confirmed payment we went to a second station and picked up our cargo, essentially food, and topped off on fuel. The stop on the agro world took twelve hours during which everyone was working pretty much all the time.

I asked, "Does this process normally take this long?"

Thomas replied while Kory laughed, "This is quick."

I didn't want to have to buy fuel on an embargoed world so I double checked the navigation with Kory to make sure we wouldn't need to pick up fuel at our ultimate destination. We wouldn't. I made a note to self to make sure that got double checked on all runs, adding extra stops if necessary to avoid such refueling situations on embargoed worlds.

Then we arrived on Mandalore. We found our station, took payment and delivered. I charged five times the Corellia price for the cargo. That may seem high, but they were currently paying a hundred, so I was giving away a huge hunk of Credits I could have taken. At the same time, having a large scale shipment hit their market like that cut food prices in half from their hyper inflated levels for the whole planet. We had succeeded in having the effect I wanted. I had also made the local broker very happy. He was eager for us to do business with him again on return trips. So I got some personal concessions.

By the way, I had also only paid 80% Corellia price for the cargo, so this would be a very profitable run.

Picking up a cargo was going to take a few days, so I used the opportunity to tourist. One of the nice features of this class of freighter was that it came with a small tug which Kory had already used a few times to get us snugged up to various ports. Thomas gave the okay and Kory ran me down to the surface in the tug.

It was an unfamiliar feeling standing on terrestrial ground again. I'd been on ships and stations for so long, I'd forgotten what un-reprocessed air tasted like. I liked being in space, but I decided I liked the occasional visit to the ground too. I had a sudden home sickness for the Temple, but shook it off.

Courtesy of the broker, a very nice speeder limousine met me at the landing pad and I hopped in. As the speeder gently cruised to my first destination, I looked around through the passenger window. I was really surprised at just how nice everything looked!

Coruscant looks like an industrial dump. Corellia seemed better, though I had never stood on the surface of Corellia Prime, so my impressions were mostly based on Upsalon Station. Upsalon looked like an artifact of thirty years past and had better and worse patches. Though even the best looked like they could use some cleaning and a coat of paint.

Mandalore was all light pastels. She was heavier than galactic norm, but not bad. I made a note to myself to be careful as the extra gravity could make one clumsy. Things looked like they had been gracefully carved from rock. Everything looked clean and new. It was really amazing. It made me think, "If I'm ever at loose ends and Mandalore ISN'T in the middle of some terrible crises, I'd like to come spend some time here."

The speeder's first stop was to take me to a top local gunsmith. The broker assured me this smith was one of the best on planet.

"Normally Mandalorean gunsmiths won't work with out-worlders, but as a favor to a mutual friend, for you, I'll make an exception. Please let me see the weapon." the dour older gentleman asked.

I pulled the Boss pistol out slowly and handed it to him handle first.

We had another of those discussions where he gave me a list of recommendations and I responded by saying, "Yes."

There would be a new barrel. The one I had gotten on Upsalon station was decent, but they had better. The workings in the handle, same. Some new things would be added. Something called a capacitor would be added which would allow much faster follow on shots. A new muzzle device would be added that would help hide muzzle flash and sound. The muzzle device would also have a twist. The twist would allow the blast fired to go from focused to wide angle. If I ran into an enemy like a cloud of small droids, "or a Jedi," the smith was kind enough to mention, the wide angle blast would be useful. He would also rebuild the trigger.

"This trigger is sloppy junk. It's like it was made by Gamorreans!" The smith said.

I felt no need to correct him.

"The trigger is the ultimate interface between shooter and weapon, having a smooth, crisp, reliable trigger is key to accuracy." The smith explained.

Apparently, the trigger would have a feature where it could be fired in three round burst and full automatic.

He would also be adding a telescopic sight as he said, "Your helmet already has a HUD, you should be using it!"

I would be moved to the head of the line as it was clear I was on a tight schedule and I would be paying in much coveted Republic Credits. Leaving my blaster to be worked on at the smith, my luxury speeder sped me to an armorer's shop.

"Hi," I said to the Armorer as I walked into the shop, "I'm not sure you can help me. I have some pretty good armor, but I was told you are some of the finest armorers in the galaxy, so I'm stopping by."

The armorer, another tall, thin, older gent with wisps of white hair, looked at me and said in a nasally tone that some Mandalorians got from their native language, "You're wearing Corellian Ceramskin, one of their better options. It would not be one of ours."

"Really, you have better?" I asked surprised.

"May I have your chest piece?" He asked.

I shrugged out of my coat and bandolier, took off my chest piece and handed it to the armorer.

"May I have your pistol as well?" He asked.

I shrugged and gave him my DC-17 which I was carrying again because the hand cannon was in the shop. Again.

He took my chest piece, my pistol and another piece of armor plate and gestured for me to follow him into the back of the shop. I followed. He set up my chest piece and the square of armor plate on two stands. Then he took my pistol, showed he had set it for the middle, two shot, power grade, and shot my chest piece. The first shot cracked my armor and left it smoking. I might have survived, likely with some injury. Then he shot the chest piece again in the same area, it shattered. I likely would not have survived. He popped out the now empty power cell and handed it to me. He then took a fitting and attached it to a power tap on the wall then inserted it into the pistol in lieu of a normal magazine to power my pistol. He then turned the pistol power up to maximum and shot his own sample. He had to shoot his armored plate four times before it cracked.

"I see your point. Is that your best armor?" I asked.

"This would be a middle grade product." He answered.

"Then I want new forearm pieces, leg pieces and a chest piece in your best." I replied.

"Do you not have a helmet for that suit?" He asked.

"I do." I answered not understanding the question.

"Perhaps you would want that reinforced as well?" The armorer suggested.

"That sounds great, but it's at the gunsmith's right now. When they're done, can you have it brought over here and done?" I asked.

"Certainly sir," He replied politely.

We discussed a few technical details of delivery; I asked his price, didn't negotiate and paid. While we talked, he recharged my power cell.

Then there really wasn't much more to do. The driver took me to a very nice hotel. For hard Republic Credits, my room was a song. It was dinner time so I went to the hotel dining room, had a great dinner, then went and sat in the bar to have a spice stick and a brandy.

I was sitting there comfortably minding my own business. There were many locals. They were well dressed and tended to be tall, fit and blond. I definitely stood out.

A woman came over.

"I am Ingrid. Can I buy you a drink?" She asked.

"I already have a drink, but I wouldn't mind buying you one?" I replied.

"That sounds fine." She answered, her speech given a quite a lilt by her Mandalorian background. 'Fine' came out sounding like 'Fahn.'

Several other women came to sit with us. I bought them drinks too. They were all

very tall, very fit, and wore the scant fashions of the times.

At the end of a very pleasant evening, Ingrid showed me back to my rooms. She wore a dress that seemed to be made of some sort of translucent silk; it covered her top, and then left all bare but for a single thin strip of cloth running down the middle of her front to the skirt bottom that covered little. It left her long, long legs uncovered but for two strappy shoes that had very tall heels. She was very appealing. What you might imagine happened that night, happened. Even though I stand nearly two meters tall, I noticed that, even when those heels came off, Ingrid was at least five centimeters taller than me. I didn't mind at all. I think Ingrid was happy of the advice Misa had given me.

The next three days I didn't have much to do. Ingrid didn't seem to have much to do either and seemed happy to spend the days with me. We ate well. Food was available if you had hard Credits and lots of them. She took me touristing. Mandalore was a remarkable place. The cities were beautiful. They kept many preserves of beautiful natural places. There were vast open vistas of desert. There were museums and theaters full of amazing art.

Riddy, as she liked to be called, also explained the politics of the moment. Apparently their leader Duchess Satine's policies had led to Mandalore being isolated from Republic shipping lanes which was causing the troubles that had brought my attention. I had no intention of interfering with local politics.

Something I noticed as we wandered about was the speeder bikes they were riding. They were very attractive and seemed very fast. We went speeder bike riding. They were very fast, and very easy to ride and operate. We went and bought two. I noticed they were also cheap. Then I realized everything was really cheap because Mandalore was desperate for hard Republic Credits. So I started buying stuff. I called up to the ship and told Captain Thomas about how cheap things were.

"We're busy doing the work you pay us for up here, but I'll pass the word. If anyone has some free time and wants to do some sightseeing and shopping, I'll see what I can do." Captain Thomas answered.

"Of course, your best judgment, you're in command." I acknowledged.

I ended up filling a shipping container with furniture, an armored speeder car, two speeder bikes and assorted other bric a brac.

The next day it was announced that Prime Minister Almec had arrested Duchess Satine. Well that was an exciting development. It really had no effect on the ground where I was. I'd later find out a Jedi Padawan had been involved. If I had known that, I would have tried to do something. Of course, Mandalore was a neutral world. Jedi weren't supposed to be here, so it was a big secret. As I understand it, the Padawan got away okay, but if she hadn't, the Order would have had only itself to blame. There are many different interpretations of the Code and there are certainly times when discretion is critical. There are also times when admitting the truth in public may be a little embarrassing, but builds your credibility in the long run. There may well have been other friends of the Jedi on the planet, and they may have been able to intervene.

As it was, I ate well, drank well, toured and that night Riddy got a friend, Doutzen, to come over.

I was a little frustrated and a bit self-disgusted. It seemed like all I was doing was spending money and having fun. I kept upgrading my gear, but it never got used. What was the point? What had I accomplished. Did I have any plan to use these weapons against the Republic and Order's enemies. If not, I was just wasting time and money.

The next day, the last before I went back up to the ship that evening. I basically spent buying gifts for Riddy and Zenny. Because of the greater uncertainty, the desire for hard Republic Credits was even higher, and the prices were even more crazy low.

I did buy a case of nice jackets, including six with nice embroidery for my crew and myself. I picked up my pistol which was even more crazy good. I also picked up my armor which was, if anything, now lighter.

I gave the girls both a kiss good-bye and took the tug back up to the ship with Kory. Our load, my one container and a full capacity of furniture going to Corellia was packed. Apparently, there was something of a galactic following in Mandalore's minimalist furniture style. With permission from System Control, we started to make our way to the jump point.

Mandalore space is actually a little busy. Mandalore Prime has all the normal traffic, stations, ships, traffic lanes and satellites one would expect of a well developed world. It also has more than it's fair share of moons, lots of pieces of rock and lots of broken ship bits attesting to a long history of conflict.

Hope wasn't designed to make lots of tight vector corners as we made our way out of Mandalore Prime's vicinity. Luckily, she came equipped with her own tug.

I was sitting in my seat behind Captain Thomas and he turned around and said, "I think as part of your training it would be fair for you to take a turn driving the tug."

"Yes Sir," I said as I hopped to, and ran back to get in the tug. I had been on light duty for the last few days while they all worked. I felt a bit dissolute.

Hope has two sets of four push/pull points. Captain Thomas gave me careful instructions on which point should get how much push at what angle. It required precision piloting and a lot of concentration. Still, it was also tedious. I was listening to light music from the planet when a news bulletin blasted out, "Duchess Satine has emerged from prison. Prime Minister Almec has been arrested. What does this whirlwind development mean?"

Wow, very volatile. It made me think of Riddy's lessons in politics. I noticed, as we were just clearing the planet, a label on one of the moons in my HUD, "Concordia."

"No, there won't be trouble…" I thought as the Force moved my lower left hand to throw a cover up and flip two switches.

I immediately announced over the comm back to Captain Thomas, "Captain, raise shields immediately."

I was hoping he listened. As we passed Concordia bringing into view the dark side of the moon not visible to the planet, there were a group of snub fighters.

Across our comms a cruel male voice came with a harsh Mandalorian accent, "In the name of the Death Watch heave to and prepare to be boarded!"

In a split second I reviewed the vectors. With the Hope being shielded, only one fighter, the leader, would be able to get in range in time to do us harm. I gave the Hope a big push toward the jump point with the throttle in my upper left hand, killed my engines with my lower right hand, switched engine power to the blasters I shouldn't have had with my lower left hand and blasted the lead fighter hard with my yoke and fire control in my upper right hand.

It was a high quality Mandalorian fighter, made of stern stuff and had some shielding, but my blast knocked it off vector. I snapped my gravitics anchor and attached the tug to a random shipping container just as the Hope jumped out of Mandalore space.

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	3. Chapter 3

**Legend of the Harp**

 **Episode I: Birth of a Jedi**

 **Chapter 3: Speculator**

Captain Thomas brought the Hope to a stop a couple hours later, so I could move the tug to her regular position and debark.

"Sharp thinking and shooting out there." Chris said with a smile as he greeted me at the tug and helped me with the awkward gravity transition back onboard Hope.

"Tell Captain Thomas, when he thinks we have a moment, I would like to have a crew conference." I replied, still a bit shaky.

I went to the mess and got a cup of caf. Then I sat down to let the nerves settle down.

Everyone filed into the mess a bit later. As the ship was in Hyperspace for at least twenty more hours to get back to Corellia, everyone could stand to take a break.

Fortunately, I'd had a couple hours to pull my composure back together and think about what to say, so my voice didn't crack, and I sounded somewhat organized when I said, "That did not go how I'd hoped. I didn't expect any violence, but obviously some happened. Luckily, I was here, and things turned out well, but they could have gone badly. I have to ask, is this something you want to continue to do?"

Everyone in the room started looking at each other. Then Thomas spoke, "I think you did really well out there in the tug and you definitely saved our bacon. You should understand though, if you weren't here, Kory would have been in that tug and he has over twenty more years of training and experience, maybe he would have done what you did, maybe he would have done something different. It was kind of a bad thing that of the entire crew, it was you, the least experienced, in the tug when it happened."

Everyone nodded. Of course, they had no idea I was a Jedi and that I had been accumulating intelligence, so I was able to react a split second faster, which was probably what had saved our lives. If Kory had been in the tug and had started snapping switches when the fighters came into view, we'd have been done, but how could I explain that to them?

"So then how do you all feel about continuing this enterprise?" I asked.

Alex piped in first, "I can only speak for myself, but I want to continue. Yeah, I do have some bills to pay back home, but we really helped those people back there. That food really changed outcomes. I was in Space Rescue for over twenty years. I probably didn't save one percent of the lives we just rescued. That feels really good. I want to do it again."

Everyone looked at each other and they were all nodding and agreeing. How could I, a Jedi, sworn to selflessly save lives, say to these good people, "No, we've saved enough lives. I hate risk?"

Instead I answered, "So the enterprise will continue. I'll hop off when we get back to Corellia. We'll have new cargoes scheduled, though none going back to Mandalore. That will definitely be a firm rule. If there's violence at a destination, we don't go back. I'll hire a new crew for the end of the month and begin shopping for a second ship."

Everyone nodded in agreement.

Well what could I do then. I passed out the really nice jackets. It's common for a shipping concern to have some uniform clothing. These were just nice cloth jackets in a really pretty woven blue/green pattern. I had a box of one thousand in different sizes, but I had these five with custom embroidering showing their names and ship name. They had not gotten down to the planet, so they were pleased. I did have one jacket special made for me and my extra arms so for once, I matched.

The other jackets were saved. As new crew was hired, after their first cruise, if they signed on for more, they would be given a jacket.

As for Mandalore, while I understand that the changes happening in the palace were mostly driven by intrigue, the price of food going down so hard was key in creating an opening for Duchess Satine, giving her enhanced authority, popularity and legitimacy to regain the throne. Since Satine was apparently much better than that slimo Almec, we had apparently done something good for Mandalore. Unfortunately, as I followed Mandalore over the years after that, it seemed like she went down one disaster after the next always finding a new bottom. Whenever I heard new bad news from Mandalore, I would always think about Riddy and Zenny and wonder if they were all right.

Mandalore also taught me something about the gear I was getting from Corellia. It might be the best that Corellia had, but since it seemed Corellia always worked to a price, there was clearly better out there, maybe much better. Bearer would have the best armor Corellia had to offer to go with her shields, but clearly that was weak compared to what I could get on Mandalore and maybe elsewhere. It put the thought in my head that there would be a successor to Bearer someday, but I would have to figure out the details.

I had also noticed the trick that Mandalorians liked rocket packs which allowed them to fly. Three-dimensional movement made a lot of sense. Jedi, already able to jump long distances, don't normally think of such things, but now I was, and I wanted it. I could imagine many situations where it could be very useful. I didn't like the idea of an explosive strapped to my back, but I was sure there were better ideas out there. I just had to find them.

We got back to Corellia and Captains Thomas and Kory signed off on my papers so that I would now be a fully credentialed Captain and Pilot. It was meaningless in a practical sense, but it made me really happy. I sent First Hope and her crew on their way with another milk run cargo to an agro world to begin the process again for another starving bit of the galaxy.

Captain Pagot helped me hire a second crew so we'd have a swap when First Hope had completed her first month. It went even easier the second time around. As Captain Pagot clearly understood what I was up to, he could vet for crew that wouldn't care about screwing the Trade Federation, which was most of them.

Corbeen helped me buy another IXp3. I definitely made sure we mounted a shield to this freighter and this time better than the surplus Gozanti's. We also armed and shielded the tug. Then Captain Pagot helped me hire two more crews.

I was chugging along to be a minor shipping magnate, which made me feel I was playing it too safe. That ended when after finishing the second IX, Bright Hope, Bearer finally came out of dry dock.

Corbeen and I took her for a bit of a joyride. She had been a strong ship before we started, now she was really something. Those big engines could make her move, but the extra grav plate could really make her turn. I flipped on the guns and shields just to see what would happen, and they came on quick. She was ready.

Captain Pagot and his fellow instructors reinstated my Space Combat Maneuver class part II and I put as much as possible on hold for the next month to focus on learning to handle the ship. I listened to what they said and practiced the drills, but I also let the Force flow through me to the ship and back. By the end of the month I was giving a very respectable accounting of myself in sparring matches against the School's very experienced pilots flying much smaller more maneuverable craft.

I couldn't depend on victory against a pirate horde, but should I be jumped in space, I was no longer helpless. Further, this ship was also much more practical for my current enterprises.

I rented a permanent berth on Upsalon along with a pressurized dock to conduct my first business and gave up my fancy rooms. I liked giving up the rooms, as it was thrifty, and they were less secure than my ship would be.

Even though I still had more than half of the cargo from my second pirate adventure, I went out and got a third. My Boss blaster did very well stunning the three crew and went well with fact that the hijacker was a Gamorrean Boar Lizard.

With Bearer, it was very easy to ferry cargo about. My engineer droid could act as a mini tug and the Bearer had the standard Gozanti's large exterior grav hold.

I had been looking for a new way to move stolen cargo and found that there were sites on certain HoloNets that allowed for anonymous exchanges. Buyers transmitted Credits anonymously, and in turn, sellers would give codes to cargo in lockers in some station. The problem was building trust. The buyer gives Credits, hoping for an honest deal. A seller like me, with no track record, had to sell for a major discount. I decided to try it anyway as I could see this would be a good system once I built up some credibility.

The very first cargo, the buyer demanded a name. I figured my system code was enough, but no, they had to have a name. Finally, I typed in, "The Harp."

I don't know what moved me to do that, but I sold my first cargo for roughly half of what it was worth. That was okay because I saw the percentage go up with each deal. Eventually, I was selling above value as I was considered hyper reliable and it could be preferable to get cargo in this anonymous way, if one could do it reliably. The problem was I still had a mountain of cargo from my second ship and an even bigger mountain from the third. I couldn't afford the time to run all over the galaxy selling a few containers here and a few there.

I realized I could use my food freighters to ferry cargos to remote stations they would be going to anyway. When I had four freighters running I was diminishing inventory rapidly. I saw that the second stolen cargo was on track to bring in five hundred million credits and the third, though only a quarter sold looked like it was going to be six.

Just after I took a fourth ship, which would be the doom of the Gran Spike Fish, an amazing incident took place. I noticed, like most of the galaxy did, when a giant monster ravaged it's way across dozens of kilometers and levels of Coruscant. Like I'm sure everyone with access did, I read the confidential reports. Apparently, the beast had been discovered on Malastare. It was remarkably resistant to blaster fire and even light sabers! Which explained why they hadn't just shot it on Coruscant. It had been sedated on Malastare and, against all sanity, been brought to Coruscant. It had been the last of it's kind and possibly sentient, but the reckless actions of someone, I eventually figured out it was the Chancellor, had led to it's death and a public safety disaster. Well well. Unfortunately, after the rampage, information on the beast dropped out of sight. Presumably it was being studied to produce a whole new generation of armor which we would see soon enough. Most, I could see, hadn't noticed the armor angle it was just another crazy incident from Coruscant, which as a melting pot of thousands of different species and a font of new fashions was always creating crazy incident stories. I didn't pay the story much more attention either.

I had four freighters, eight crews and a whole lot of pirated material. I felt like it was time for a new enterprise.

One of the enterprises overseen by the Banking Clans was a securities exchange. One could buy and sell shares of ownership in various financial concerns including the different banks of the Clan. While the first ship I had stolen had caused real acrimony among the Big Five and the second had reopened the wounds. I just couldn't seem to inspire the same levels of mutual violence and animosity with the third and fourth cargoes. I was looking for a way to encourage more animosity.

The securities exchange normally operated as a way to accumulate capital for new ventures, but could, on it's seamy side, be like a giant casino. There was also a particular kind of trade I discovered which seemed like it could be used to my advantage, the short sale.

The short sale worked by a trader on the exchange selling shares in a company she did not yet have. The expectation of the short sale was that the share would be about to lose value. The short seller could then purchase the share later in the same trading day. If the share had lost value, the trader would make a profit. If the share gained value, the short selling trader would take a loss.

I decided I should have a trade.

Having access to their private communications gave me something of an unfair advantage. I picked as my target a mid-range Clan Bank, the Funori. It had various very real problems which it had thus far managed to hide. I put my other enterprises on hold and stopped selling cargo from the fourth freighter, so I could spend time near the exchange on Scipio. I took time to carefully position my money, so it would be ready to be used in the exchange. I did this while residing on Bearer which was positioned on the dark side of a piece of rock. I also crafted a wide variety of messages. Finally, all was ready.

Using my funds as leverage, I began selling small, but noticeable, amounts of Funori stock in the final hours of trading the day before. Then as the next trading day arrived, I started selling huge amounts of Funori. The exchange noticed and the value of Funori started to decline just a bit. Then I started to unleash waves of messages that seemed to be coming from legitimate locations in the Big Five indicating that Funori had big problems and the smart money was getting out. Funori's share price really started taking a beating as I continued to sell. Then some very embarrassing, damaging and authentic files from Funori were dumped in public in early afternoon. The double blow of the information in the files and that Funori couldn't manage it's secrets hammered Funori prices. At the end of the day I had to balance accounts on the exchange which meant I had to buy Funori shares to balance the one's I had sold. If I had been unsuccessful, and the share price had climbed, I would have been in trouble as I spent nearly every Credit I had on the operation. As it was, Funori shares had lost 99.999998% of their value and there were still plenty of sellers. I bought shares for an average of .015 Credits per share and had sold for an average of roughly 7300 credits per share. My net worth had mushroomed from roughly two billion Credits to twenty.

More importantly, I had destabilized the entire Banking Clan structure. The next day, the exchange suspended trading of Funori which had to declare insolvency. It was bad for the entire Banking Clan that a mid-line bank could fail and her depositors and investors could lose everything. It made any potential investor or depositor in any Banking Clan bank think they might lose everything. Their solvency was in question. Further, many of Funori's investors and depositors had been other Banking Clan banks and bank employees and they had lost the one thing they loved most, money. There was a wailing and gnashing of teeth. My real target had been acrimony and I had sown far more of that and the knives were out once again.

I pulled my money out in a way I knew would cause problems and sent it to other institutions across the galaxy. Then, unnoticed, I let go of my rock and returned to Corellia.

The biggest thing my actions did was create the impression that the banks were corrupt and insolvent. Which they were, so I was living up to a Jedi ideal of exposing truth. I had actually fostered some corruption as I had made many institutions and individuals desperate. The eighteen billion credits I had pulled out of Scipio came from somewhere. The banks were generally insolvent because they had been making large loans to the Separatists which the Separatists felt no need to repay. The insolvency of the Banks and the truth was now seeping out.

These circumstances brought about my return to the Temple.

As I was managing my freighters, thinking about another run on the banks or cargo grab, I got a summons.

Master Arunx contacted me directly by subspace, I was gratified to notice, using his new holotablet, "The Council has requested your presence. Please return to the Temple as soon as possible."

"Of course, I'll be on my way as quickly as I can." I replied.

Perhaps it was a bit of pride, but my best robes of years before were a bit old and tatty. My old robes had also not had extra arm holes. I had been ashamed of extra arms before, now I wanted them out on display. I put my businesses on autopilot again and took Bearer to Philomene station in Corellia space. Upsalon was something of a decent but working-class station. Philomene was another city-station meant to cater to the wealthy. I'm sure the rich felt Philomene was a nice place where they could enjoy luxuries and not be bothered with seeing the lower orders unless they were in nice uniforms serving. So not the sort of place I would normally go. I picked Philomene since I knew they would have nice tailors and I wanted to look good. I didn't get this work done on Upsalon as I didn't want to advertise my Jedi connections there.

I picked a nice tailor, "I need two sets of authentic Jedi robes. Can you provide them?"

"Of course sir." The tailor replied and began taking measurements. A few hours later, a fancy overpriced meal and some final fittings I had two sets of very fine Jedi robes.

Once I jumped for the three-hour trip to Coruscant, I changed into the robes. I was willing to take a short detour on my way to Coruscant since I knew it would take one of my IXs at least eight hours to make the same trip. Commercial transport or the Tontine would have taken even longer.

I landed in the Jedi hanger. It was not unknown for a Jedi to own, by one means or another, a private ship. I did think I had one of the nicer ships, but I knew I was biased. I made sure the ship was hooked up to utilities and power and topped off on fuel. I didn't bother to ask for quarters, I preferred to sleep on my ship anyway.

I brought Master Palatex some flowers I thought he would like from Corellia. He was in a garden with a creature that had the shape of an overturned soup bowl and a surface that looked like a very ugly bruise. Apparently, it was his new Padawan, a Horta. I'm not sure it had a name in the sense that Galactic Standard uses audio patterns for identification. I wished it well.

Master Palatex looked at me and said, "The river is long with many windings and good fish to eat."

I think he meant well. He did find the flowers tasty.

I visited Master Arunx. He waved his hoofy hand at his guest chair and I sat. His office was more cluttered and shabby than I remembered.

"Look at you. Standing up straight and not hiding those two extra arms. You look well and I'm happy to see you." Master Arunx greeted me as I entered his office.

I couldn't remember hearing someone say something nicer to me.

I began the conversation with, "I was surprised to be asked back."

"Are you at all aware of this situation with former Senator Clovis?" He asked.

"I'm afraid I am. Does it have something to do with me?" I answered with a question.

"The Council asked me for advice on how to interpret what's going on. I said I was out of my depth. They asked if I had anyone in the department who could explain better, I said 'no.'" He answered.

"Why not just get an opinion from Master Crux of L&A?" I asked.

"Master Crux had apparently already turned them down, said he was 'a good book keeper, not some sort of plotter.'"

I had noticed that accounting did not seem to be the sort of profession whose practitioners wanted to put their necks out. Master Crux was a Master and on the Council, but as Master of L&A, he was hardly the most prestigious. If his opinion came out on the losing side of a debate, it could be embarrassing for him.

"So, they need an expert on finance to advise them in the current situation with former Senator Clovis and Senator Amidala?" I asked.

"Yes. Of the ways of the Force, they know much. In creating strategy both grand and small, they are wise. How to balance credits in and out of a personal account, not so much." Master Arunx pronounced.

We both shared a small laugh.

"So, you recommended me?" I finally asked.

"Yes, you're all there is and whether they choose to accept it or not, you're actually pretty good." He answered.

"I try to keep my hand in. You've been getting my reports?" I asked.

"Yes, that financial data you sent last month wrapped up a ring of Separatist saboteurs that had been eluding Republic Security for years. Made us Jedi look ever so omniscient." He replied.

"Putting me forward, that has to be something of a risk for you?" I asked.

That got Master Arunx to lean back, then he lifted his head as if considering his reply and finally he looked back at me, "This war won't go on forever, and when it ends, this department will go with it. I'm sure I'll go back to being an obscure historical researcher. Before this war, I never expected to be elevated to Master. Now I know I never will be. It would have been nice if our contributions were better respected. Regardless, we must do our duty. I agree with you that the movement of funds is of key importance in this war. That means this situation with Clovis may be key. You are the best the Order has to understand what the different issues mean. Whether the Council accepts it or not."

Once again Master Arunx had cut to the heart of a matter both deftly and selflessly.

"I've thought about my report a great deal. I think about how I could have written it differently. Maybe it would have been better accepted." I said.

"The Council was not ready to hear what your report said. No magic eloquence would have changed that." He pronounced.

"So why did you let me present it?" I asked actually puzzled.

"It's not our task to predict the prejudices of the Council. It's our duty to present the best information we have when we have it. What the Council chooses to do with it is above our station." He answered grimly.

"So, you did read my report. Perhaps I missed some key bit of information? Perhaps I drew a wrong conclusion?" I asked. I was fairly certain my report contained no errors, but it would be hubris to be certain.

"I read your report before I had you present it to the Council. I was satisfied with your research and conclusions." He said.

"Aren't you worried that even putting me forward may damage the department? Or that I will say something impolitic and thus damage the department?" I asked.

"There is little to damage. I do my duty. Give them your best advice and I will be well served. If I go back to historical research a few months early, so be it. Perhaps I'll do a bit of independent research on Alderaan. I hear their Lakes district is very pleasant. Perhaps there is some history there that needs to be researched." He said laughing his Gnumish laugh.

"Yes, I've heard they're quite historical. Especially the wines. Make sure you research them extensively." I laughed along.

"Oh I will." He replied.

He gave me an appointment to see the Council the next day.

I got a meal at the kitchen. Essentially it was a bowl of very hearty vegetable porridge stew. It was bland and had the consistency of paste, but it was the flavor of my childhood and I had missed it. It's not against Jedi policy to eat meat, but the Jedi way is not materialistic. Meat is more expensive than vegetables and, as such, not much used or eaten. The food I'd been eating out and about had been fancier, but not more comforting. This Temple food would always be home.

I found my way to evening saber practice. The practice room was filled with younglings and Padawans. There were even a few other Knights in attendance. I took off my fancy outer robes and sparred. It was very pleasant facing live opponents. I found I was actually a lot better than when I last left the Temple. I was actually dealing with the younglings and Padawans without much trouble, even giving the occasional useful tip, mostly, "A Jedi can feel the Force flowing through him."

I held my own with Knights, giving as many touches as I took. That was a real change.

When it was all done, I repaired to my ship and did research till late in the night. Apparently, Senator Amidala had been on a diplomatic mission to Scipio. She probably had gotten there just a short while after I had left. She had apparently run into former Senator and Separatist traitor, Rush Clovis. Clovis had apparently convinced her to engage in some espionage against the Banking Clans. Not a bad choice on Senator Amidala's part, in my humble opinion.

They had succeeded in stealing some data and escaping. Clovis' thesis, which he was now blaring all over the galaxy, was that the Banking Clans had been laid low by the "corruption" of a "mere few."

Now Clovis wanted to address the Senate and ask that he be made the new Conservator of the Banks.

I awoke the next morning. Did my morning ablutions, went to the kitchens and had a breakfast similar to last night's dinner, but with oaf bird eggs. Hmm fancy. Then I attended morning saber practice again. It went much as the night before had gone.

I went back to my ship to freshen up, make sure my robes were all correct and collected my notes. When I went before the Council previously, my notes had been on paper in a cheap binder. Now I had a pretty snappy holopad. I didn't think that would make any difference, but it made me feel better. In the Order, having an expensive new holopad was a sign that one had strong access to Temple resources. Having strong access implied status and prestige.

I walked to the Council chambers and stood in the anteroom, waiting with humble patience. I was supposed to address the Council at mid-morning, but waited till nearly mid-day. I was then invited in.

I walked into the middle of the Council chambers. I could remember keenly my last visit to this august chamber, but I drew in the Force and steadied myself.

"Master Arunx has informed us that explain these confusing matters of Rush Clovis you can," Master Yoda began.

Master Yoda calling Arunx a "Master" was not some sort of promotion, merely a matter of polite protocol. On my previous visit, Master Yoda had greeted me and then remained silent throughout my visit.

"I am grateful to be of service to the Council." I replied.

Master Windu spoke up next, "Senator Clovis has been saying that there is corruption in the Banks and that has led to instability. Further, that he would be a good candidate to be Conservator in place of the Council of Five. Do you have any insight on this?"

"In fact I do. I have been monitoring these circumstances extremely closely for some time. I believe I have information that would be useful for the Council." I answered.

"Please enlighten us." Master Windu said pulling his legs up under himself.

"Former Senator and Separatist Traitor Clovis is presenting a very self-serving and deceptive version of events. His cloak and dagger games conceal problems with the banks that are well known. If Clovis has exposed anything, it's just how advanced these problems have become. The primary problem of the banks is that they have made extensive loans to the Separatists that the Separatists have no intention of paying back. If these loans had been small, representing profits the banks could afford to lose, they would not be a problem. But these loans are huge, the sort of loans banks would make to protect assets at low interest with reliable governments.

Since these loans are not being paid back, the banks have become a pyramid scheme."

"A pyramid scheme, what is that?" Master Plo Kun asked.

"It is very nice to see you again Master Plo Kun." I began. He had not been present at my last presentation and I had not seen him since I was seven. He nodded politely.

Then I continued, "A pyramid scheme is a kind of fraud where a presumably reputable investment consultant promises outlandish returns to investors. Investors, lured by the potential returns, invest. Initial investors do well, as they are getting paid by subsequent investors' money. Eventually, the whole structure collapses as enough new investors can't be found. At this point the criminal running the scheme flees with the remaining assets or is caught. It's not uncommon for these sorts of schemes to be unmasked when there is a financial downturn as older investors demand the return of their capital investments and new investors can't be found. It's also common for large financial error or financial downturn to convert previously honest investment companies into pyramid schemes as they desperately try to maintain solvency. That is what happened here. I may have many reservations as to how the Banking Clans conducted their businesses, but they were profit making businesses until those loans were made."

"How is this self-serving for Clovis?" Master Windu asked.

"By claiming corruption as the reason for bank insolvency, he's hiding that he is an extremely senior Banking Clan executive and was instrumental in the creation of those loans to the Separatists which have been bankrolling Separatist operations with Republic money for some time." I answered.

"Are you saying there's no corruption?" Master Fisto asked his voice serious, but still lilting with his accent.

"There is definitely corruption, but not beyond the normal amounts we would expect to see from the Five Conservators. It definitely did not precipitate the current crises." I answered.

Mistress Gallia asked, "So what did precipitate the crises?"

"While the primary source of insolvency for the banks has been the loans to the Separatists. The current crisis was precipitated by a smaller crisis that occurred several months ago, generally referred to as the 'Funori Incident.'"

Master Tiin interjected, "That was the bank that went bankrupt. How does that have anything to do with this?"

"Yes, that is correct, Funori was the Banking Clan bank that went bankrupt. However, in addition to going bankrupt, it absorbed a huge amount of Credits as it went bankrupt. These were the Credits the Banking Clan institutions were using to hide their insolvency. Without those Credits it was only a matter of time before the insolvency of the Banking Clans banks became apparent." I answered.

Mistress Ti asked, "What about making Clovis the sole Conservator?"

"Rush Clovis is a traitor and a high-level member of the Separatist government. He is also, obviously, a war criminal. He should be held, tried and executed for his crimes. The banks should be seized and someone loyal to the Republic, but not necessarily the Chancellor's office, should be placed in charge. Master Crux might be a good candidate. If he doesn't want the responsibility, someone like the head of the Corellia System Reserve, Fi-Kar would be a good candidate." I answered.

Master Mundi then said, "and not yourself?"

"I have not been elevated to Master and have not historically been held in high esteem. It seems substantially above my position. I feel I am doing good charity work on Corellia. However, if the Council asked me back to the Temple to resume my duties under Master Arunx, or in any other capacity, I would be obedient." I answered and bowed.

Of course, I would not be asked back, that would be too much like admitting they had made a mistake. I had side stepped the trap of saying I had wanted the position of Conservator for myself, that would have been seen as overly ambitious and grasping. It would have undermined my testimony. However, I was probably the only person in the galaxy who had a spare twenty billion credits that he would be willing to use to fix the Banks. If I was placed in charge I would have remade them into Republic-loyal institutions.

"Consider your words we will. Thank-you. You may go now." Master Yoda concluded my briefing.

As I left the Council chambers I ran into, of all people, Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker. It would have been natural for me to resent and disdain Skywalker, he got so much that I had wanted. He got to be immediately placed as a Padawan to a Diplomatic Corp Jedi Knight, now Master whereas I had been relegated to L&A. His record in the war was long and distinguished, unparalleled really. He was generally considered the greatest hero of the Republic, whereas my own efforts in the war were short and disgraceful. Despite that, I admired Skywalker enormously. His success had vindicated his early treatment and he had been protecting that which I loved most dearly. I was a bit in awe. I would not have had the nerve to approach him.

However, he approached me!

"I heard what you told the Council." He said.

Skywalker had actually listened to my dry discussion of banking policy, I could literally melt.

"I'm honored you took the time." I got out trying my best to be normal.

"So, you don't think we should trust Clovis?" He asked.

"No, I think that would be very foolish." I replied.

"I hope they listen to you." He said and walked off.

I was intensely struck by the gravitas that Skywalker carried himself with. I had no doubt he would be promoted to Master soon.

The next day I got a second-row seat in the Senate viewing gallery to see Clovis approved as new sole Conservator of the InterGalactic Banking Clan, a position of historically unparalleled power. Apparently without Jedi opposition. I stayed on Coruscant while Clovis betrayed the Republic, exactly as I said he would and then watched as the Republic stormed Scipio. The Separatists, after their defeat at Exxelon, didn't have the strength for a stand-up fight and the Republic occupied the planet. Then, the worst possible outcome occurred, all the power that Clovis had sought devolved to the Republic Chancellor. Palpatine had won again. I had to admit I felt a bit disgruntled that the Council had apparently ignored my advice. Again.

I would refer to the incident in my mind as the "Clovis Point."

It was the moment I started to think there was a real possibility we would lose.

I suppose I could have snuck back into in Intelligence and resumed my duties there if I had been so inclined. I had certainly not been formally invited by the Council to resume my duties in the Temple and no other department wanted me, so it might have been winked at, but would not have been proper. So, I bid Master Palatex and Master Arunx good-bye and returned, after one last meal and saber practice, to Corellia.

I changed back into my regular clothes on my way back. I put away all my Jedi robes in a small trunk. I didn't know when I might have cause to wear them again.

I got back to my normal grind. Things were going well in Corellia. The war seemed to be winding down. My four freighters were still making money hand over fist as there were still many 'forbidden' destinations. More importantly, they were saving lots of lives. My droids and I had devised a good system for detecting blockades and pirates. As I monitored traffic, I would quickly see when more than one ship started going overdue on a particular route. I could immediately warn any ship I had on that path to reroute. Backing that up, I had access to the Trade Federation's real time info and they paid attention to such things as well. Strangely, there had not been another violent incident since our first trip to Mandalore.

I took another cargo. The sad fate of the Karkarodon Razor Teeth was sealed.

I was doing planning for another hit on the InterGalactic Banking Clan when the war suddenly ended.

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	4. Chapter 4

**Legend of the Harp**

 **Episode I: Birth of a Jedi**

 **Chapter 4: Terrorist**

***Jedi Knight Furin Kazan, Aboard the Bearer, At the Stash***

I had never felt such pain. I knew something was wrong everywhere. I came back to myself a few moments later. I was lying on the floor of my ship in the conference room with my droid intelligence teams. My cook/housekeeper droid was nudging me.

It was nice to know she cared. It was also very disconcerting to realize if anything went wrong with my health, my carefully laid plans all came to being nudged by my cook/housekeeper droid.

I was at my deep space stash of stolen cargo. One feature I had installed on the Bearer was an extended comm boom. It ran the length of the ship. I ordered the antenna fully deployed and any news broadcasts reviewed.

I also had a hint from the Force and went to my bunk. I had a holocron there. I opened the holocron and was given the message that the Temple was under attack and all Jedi should return as soon as possible.

I immediately called up to the pilot, "Best speed to the Jedi Temple on Coruscant."

I checked the news and saw splattered all across every major newsfeed the story that the Jedi Order had launched some sort of unsuccessful coup against the Chancellor and may or may not have tried to assassinate him. Considering what a religion being successful was in the Order, how exactly on this, the most important task they had faced in centuries, could they have failed?

The news stories also indicated that the Chancellor had initiated something called General Order 66, which called for the execution of all Jedi and many Jedi had in fact been killed in the field by their clone soldiers, which explained what happened to me in the conference room.

To the engineer droid I ordered, "Make sure all combat systems are at full ready."

I made sure I had all my gear. All eight pieces of armor were on. Saber and pistol were fully charged.

I was thinking I would crash the ship into the largest concentration of troops, jumping out on the way. Then fight till they killed me. Hopefully my sacrifice would mean some younglings and senior Jedi would be able to get away. I then thought that my ship might be one of the faster, hardier ships the Order had available. They might need Bearer for evacuations. I would evaluate the situation as I got closer.

I had us emerge at the outer edge of Coruscant space. I checked the holocron again. The message had changed. "The recall is a hoax. All Jedi at the Temple are dead. All surviving Jedi should go into hiding."

That changed things.

Of course, I was still going in.

I landed Bearer near the Temple. There were Republic Fleet vessels everywhere. I found exactly what I expected. Total chaos. Bearer still looked, despite her heavy modification, like a Republic Fleet ship. When I walked off Bearer tugging a big hover cargo platform, I was wearing a Republic Fleet Intelligence uniform. My housekeeper droid had done a great job peeling off the Jedi symbol patch and replacing it with the fleet intelligence patch that had come with the uniform. Then she was quick, giving the uniform a quick press so I looked fresh and starched. I was glad I'd kept the uniform.

I knew I didn't look like the typical Fleet Officer. However, I had already had experience in blending. I made sure I wore the uniform cap. That hid a world of sins. Then my skin color, at a distance, in uncertain light, could easily be mistaken for conventional human brown. The other trick was to keep my lower arms crossed behind my back. Somehow, that made normal humans so much more comfortable with the extra arms.

I pulled my platform through the Temple. I wasn't challenged. No one knew what was going on. Who should and shouldn't be there. Who should be taking or leaving what. So, I moved with an assertive walk that said I knew what I was doing and my Fleet Intelligence uniform with Commander's rank markings kept everyone from asking questions.

The thing I was hoping most desperately for was even a single survivor. That would be worth anything. I went to the L&A department. Master Crux was dead at his desk. I took a file box and I don't know why, but I took his saber. The other three Jedi in the department, a non-Jedi secretary and all the droids were blasted as well. I took the other sabers too. I went to the hiding place where the big safe which held all the Order's accounts was stored. I cut it out of the wall and put it on the cart.

I found Master Palatex in his favorite garden. At least he died in his favorite place. Master Palatex had been basted apart. His Horta Padawan had died with him. The Horta's rock-like body had been blasted apart. The Horta's interior seemed to have been made from molten rock which had leaked out onto the ground and, while still steaming, seemed to be slowly cooling. I took Master Palatex's saber and put it in the box.

I passed through the armory on the way to my next stop. I took all the sabers there and, my insight suddenly told me, loose Kyber crystals. There were a number of such crystals kept there and they went in the box too.

After that, I just kept moving, doing everything I could not to break down in tears or vomit. I continued to Intelligence. It looked much like L&A. Then I felt something from Master Arunx. I raced to his side. He was still alive!

He had been playing dead, but when I touched him, he looked up at me.

"Furin," he groaned, "Have you betrayed us?"

It broke my heart all over again that he would ask.

"I am loyal to the Order unto death and beyond. If you can move, I'll get you out of here." I replied.

"I sense the truth of that and I am comforted. I am dying. I had a premonition which seemed to confirm some information we had. I put our department's documents into those," he gestured his hoofy hand at a crate of holochrons, "Make sure they don't fall into enemy hands."

I waived the crate onto the cart with a gentle swell of the Force.

"Pass on what you have learned." Master Arunx groaned out, and with that, he died.

I gripped Master Arunx's robes with all four hands and put my forehead to his. Then, when the pain eased enough for me to move again, I took his saber and put it next to Master Palatex's then collected the others as well.

I reached out with the Force hoping to feel even a single other survivor. I felt none.

I had a lot on that cart of great value. It would sting the Chancellor not to have it. The smart move would be to get out of there now and call it a win. But I had one more thing I wanted.

I made a call to my engineer droid as I walked across the Temple to the hanger. I also gave some instructions to the pilot.

I went to the hanger and found the Crucible. I wanted that ship, but I knew the security, even as confused as it was, would never let me board.

Crucible was the ship that took Jedi younglings to Ilum to claim their Kyber crystal and held Professor Huyang and his lightsaber workshop.

The Crucible had been crashed recently in an incident where she had been ambushed by pirates. I don't know how or why the Order had tolerated those pirates for so long, but that was business that could be left behind for now. What was important was that, at exorbitant cost, the Crucible had been salvaged and rebuilt. She was a living tradition of the Order and, by virtue of being mobile, could possibly be saved.

I sent a code to the engineer droid and an explosion went off on the opposite side of the Temple. Every bit of security ran in that direction.

I dragged my cart aboard the Crucible, where I was more pleased than I could ever remember feeling to find Professor Huyang still alive and intact.

"You're still alive. I'm so glad. "I said.

"Of course, I'm still alive. I have been alive for many years and intend to be alive for many more." He replied in the persnickety tone I remembered so well.

"I need to get you out of here. Sit tight." I replied.

I comm linked my pilot a preplanned signal to meet me at a preset rendezvous. Then I sent the necessary, stolen, release codes and piloted the Crucible out of the hangar.

The lack of guards got me in the air. The codes got me into space. Almost immediately, as I broke atmosphere, I started hearing on the Fleet channel questions about whether the Crucible was supposed to be allowed to fly out. They were scrambling fighters to shoot me down when I jumped to hyperspace way closer to Coruscant than is legal.

There would be consistent talk about whether the Crucible carried Jedi survivors for years. It did, me. It would be a favorite of conspiracy theorists. I met Bearer, whose faster hyper drive had allowed her to proceed us, at Ilum and we docked. I moved my stuff over to Bearer.

I went back and spoke to Professor Huyang.

"We are among the last survivors of the Order. I would like you to survive." I said.

"I intend to. You are dressed as Fleet Intelligence, but you are a Jedi." Professor Huyang replied.

"I am a Jedi in disguise. A long-accepted tool in difficult situations. I'm going to land you on a non-descript piece of rock on the shadow side from the sun. I need you to rig for silent running and stay put. Hopefully, someday, the Order will return and you will be able to serve again." I said.

"I can wait patiently as long as necessary." Professor Huyang replied.

"I hoped you'd say that." I replied.

I found a nice chunk of rock, heavy on nickel-iron, and parked Crucible on the dark side. Someone would be able to find her if they looked in the right place, but with all her systems off, she would look like rough rock to most sensor systems. Someone would have to look hard for her to find her. Hopefully, she would stay hidden.

I then transferred to Bearer which was waiting for me.

There was no time for mourning yet. As I pulled away from Crucible, a Venator class star destroyer popped out of hyper space.

Ilum is a secret world. Only the Jedi Order is supposed to know her location. The fact this Star Destroyer was here so quickly showed just how fast the Order's secrets were bleeding out. Ilum also has but one hyperspace lane in or out. Which made it very easy for the Venator to cut off my escape. Just in case I thought I had a chance, the Venator started disgorging Torrent fighters.

"Unidentified Gozanti class transport, heave to and prepare to be boarded. We have you cut off. If you attempt to escape, you will be destroyed." Came over the comms.

As I had worked with Corbeen on the Bearer, one question that came up time and again was, "Couldn't we have just built from scratch?"

It seemed like every major system had been dragged out, at great expense, and replaced. One must remember, the dragging out costs a great deal, not just the new system and the installation. It seemed like almost no piece of the old ship had still remained and of those that did remain, no two square centimeters of durasteel had not been cut and re-welded back together. I had given Tontine and sixty thousand credits for that original Gozanti.

Now I was going get some return on investment.

I began a looping turn like a conventional Gozanti would make if it somehow hoped against hope it could sneak by the Venator's impromptu blockade.

The eight Torrent fighters screamed out into an intercept vector that would put them on my tail, and, with a few salvos, return my atoms to the galaxy.

As I executed my relatively leisurely turn, I had plenty of left over concentration to aim the cannons. I now had four turrets aboard. The two stock cannons mounted above and below the tail and two new ones, the best Corellia could supply, mounted on the chin and forehead. I could have four crew on board manually targeting each cannon and that would probably be best. However, in the absence of a crew and with the ship's smarter brain, I could target all four cannons together and it would point as many cannons as possible at what I selected. When I pulled the trigger, three cannons fired and blasted one of the Torrent fighters out of the sky. That pissed them off and they increased velocity. Which was what I was hoping for.

The Venator was taking up position to block me and the now seven Torrents were committed to a high-speed vector. I shifted my turn as hard over as it could go and kicked my engines as well. My course radically changed and put all the enemy ships on their back feet. The Torrents were all committed to a vector that would take them a while to spin around and begin closing again. They were faster than Bearer, but they would now have to overcome their own thrust and come around to catch me. The Venator was also now in the wrong position to block me and responded by starting to fire its small cannons at me.

If the Venator had just fired at random or fired in spreads, it probably would have got me. Instead, it kept firing everything all at once at the same spot which I probably could have dodged normally, but with the Force warning when to move I just kept dodging easily.

I was on track for the jump to hyper space and had to fly steady for a second. At that moment the Venator tagged me, but not with a full salvo. The shields absorbed the hit and I was away.

I made my way back to my stash. I needed a spot where it was quiet, and I could spend some time meditating and healing.

I remembered when I first left the Temple. I had felt such vertigo. The world had changed so completely. That was nothing compared to what I felt now. The Temple was gone. The Jedi Order was gone. The Republic, according to recent newscasts, was gone, replaced by an Empire, ruled by someone I believed was a Sith. It was like some crazy fever dream nightmare had come to life. I desperately wanted to wake up.

When I could move, I had my droids put up the boom and had one of the droids monitor Jedi channels. The others I took off normal duty and had scouring the galaxy for any sign or report of Jedi, living or dead. Amongst the documents I had taken from the Intelligence Department, I found a current roster of the Jedi. I began to compile reports of Jedi deaths that I totaled against the list. There were a lot of reports. Many of the reports of suspected Jedi deaths had levels of certainty which went from very likely to very unlikely. Other Jedi, like me, were not on the list which meant there might be other survivors out there. Like me, they would likely go as deep into hiding as they could.

I had no idea how I could contact them as I had no idea how they might contact me.

It was at that moment I was reduced to lying on the floor again as the guilt washed over me, over and over, each wave worse than the last. If I had just written that report better. Master Arunx said it was as good as it could be, but what if it wasn't? Maybe I should have stayed in the Temple? If I was there? Who knows? Another decent saber at the right place at the right time? Especially after the Clovis Point? They didn't want me to stay and I didn't want to stay. I was enjoying my lifestyle and felt I was doing good work, but I could have stayed, lived on my ship, just been around.

At some level I was wishing I could have just died in the Temple with the others.

I spent longer on that floor than I'm proud of. Eventually, I pulled myself back together. It's not the Jedi way to be immobilized by grief and guilt. If one feels grief, work to make the universe better. If one feels guilt, work for justice. These are the paths to being comforted.

I sent out word to my freighters that they should all heave to, when next in Corellia space until the situation cleared and settled down some.

I opened the safe with the Jedi accounts. The Jedi Order had been one of the wealthiest single entities in the galaxy. Some assets, like the Temple, were gone. Some accounts were famous and well known and they were frozen by Imperial decree. However, the vast majority of the money was squirreled away. I had assets in excess of twenty billion Credits. That was nothing compared to this wealth. I pulled my team of commodity trackers and the two other new droids and just started moving the money around. I was sure the forensic accountants of Imperial Intelligence would be hunting the accounts soon and I wanted as much as possible where they couldn't find it.

I had one immediate target of opportunity available and no good reason not to take it.

I made my way back to Scipio. I had been planning to attack PanGalactic Commerce Bank for some time and I had been ready when the summons came from the Temple.

I wanted to go to Ilum and check on Professor Huyang.

"Focus." I told myself. Huyang was okay in hiding or had been found and likely blasted. There was probably a garrison at Ilum by now, popping in could easily mean death.

I got to Scipio and set up on the back of my favorite rock and began getting in position. Getting in position was a process that took several days to establish accounts and move funds, so they would be ready for action. It was actually convenient to be on Scipio for moving the Jedi funds. Scipio has some of the best money movement infrastructure in the galaxy. Years of working illegally with the Separatists had also made them optimize for anonymous transactions which was ideal for me. Once I was ready to attack, I actually held back for a couple weeks to finish my moves. Once I had completed the reorganization of the Jedi Order's funds, I had just over ninety two percent of the Order's remaining assets well hidden. Job well done.

The Banking Clans had recovered from Funori and being taken over by the Chancellor's office. In fact, being overseen by the Chancellor had probably been a blessing for them. It lent a false imprimatur of legitimacy on the banks. It also created the impression, not written down anywhere or guaranteed by law mind you, but the impression that the Republic or at least the ever-growing power and influence of the Chancellor's Office was now backing the banks. The banks touted that backing to show they were a safe place to keep one's assets and investments.

The Clan's biggest banks had also thrown their lesser cousins, the medium and small Clan institutions under the proverbial transport to reassure depositors that, "Certainly those smaller institutions might be a bit unstable, but we, the big five banks of the Banking Clans are inviolable."

Well we would put that claim to the test.

It was impossible, for a normal investor, to judge which of the big five was biggest. Certainly, they knew PanGalactic wasn't the smallest. I knew PanGalactic was number two and most vulnerable.

The day came, and it was time. The trades went out and the messages got sent. If anything, having experienced the fate of Funori, the traders were more skittish and PanGalactic went down harder faster. As all the serious traders knew that all implied backing was illusory, they dumped fastest. All the other traders watched what those serious traders did and dumped too. By the end of the day PanGalactic was gone and approximately fifty four percent of her market cap was in my accounts. PanGalactic was not as big as the Jedi Order had been, but if there had been a club for the hyper rich, they would have sat at the same table.

More important than the money was the damage. PanGalactic held assets for all the other banks which were lost. Many other banks held PanGalactic shares as a "safe asset" and they had been rendered valueless. All the lies that had kept the Banking Clans businesses afloat since Funori collapsed were laid bare. Nobody wants to deal with a bank that might collapse at any moment taking their assets with them, so runs rapidly started on all the other banks as well. The situation became a galactic financial crisis the new Empire had NOT wanted to have to deal with. The Banking Clans had been supposed to be an ongoing source of slush funds for the Empire. Now the Empire was dragged in by their implied promises and need to show order into trying to clean up the mess. Most importantly, the Banking Clans backed and gave value to the Credit, if the Banking Clans fell apart, so did the Credit, and that was a bridge the Empire was not prepared to cross, so they had to become involved. Unfortunately for the Empire, it was a mess that couldn't be fixed, with relentless controversy about who should and shouldn't be made whole and who had what claims to the remaining assets. Most importantly, it became an unending ulcer of lost money as the Empire had to keep pouring more and more money into trying to stabilize and keep afloat what could not hold water anymore.

With my work done on Scipio, I quietly pulled up stakes and left. Of the Big Five, I was thinking, "One down, four to go and when I knock the blocks out from under them, the next target will be this so called new Emperor."

While I was on Scipio, I had a lot to do, but also a lot of down time which meant more time to attend to some other matters. I spent a lot of time training. In addition to my other ongoing physical training, I now had a private holographic Hogan's Alley to practice with. I spent a minimum of an hour a day in there practicing combat with a combination of lightsaber and pistol. I kept the challenges randomized and I cleaved through the most difficult settings. It's hard to judge how good one is against holograms. I remembered at the Temple I had held my own against other Knights. But in a real fight? With real chips on the table? How good was I? I had no idea.

Another matter I looked into was information I now had on the Confederacy. Just before the war ended, probably reflecting the collapsing stress the Confederacy was under, I had been able to break her codes and read her internal mail, much as I had the Big Five's. It was, in fact, my access to the Big Five and their complete complicity and their deep enmeshing in the Confederacy that made this breakthrough possible. If the war had been ongoing, this would have been an amazing accomplishment and a decisive strategic advantage.

Since the war was over. It was a day late and a Credit short.

Still, there were depots of Separatist war materials just lingering all over the outer rim. Unfortunately, most of it had the value of scrap, which was somewhat below the cost of sending a ship to collect it. The Separatists had always been about quantity over quality. The typical separatist battle droid had carried a short range, single shot, muzzle loading rifle which was probably rusting away to complete non-functionality right now.

The Separatist's had produced some high-quality gear in limited amounts toward the end of the war. As I looked through the Separatist's records I searched for where they might have kept some of it. I discovered that a substantial amount of their best stuff was kept in five secret locations. They were the bolt holes of General Grievous.

I wanted some war fighting material.

The first bolt hole I visited was on Peraunth. I bounced a code down, waited for the signal indicating it was ready for the pass code, then gave the pass code.

I got the message, "Welcome Darth Tyrannous, your facility awaits your pleasure. "

I landed. I was about to go in the main door, but decided with a nudge from the Force, not to. I walked around, finding an overgrown path that led to a large rock and tree.

I felt the rock and tree with the Force and found they were not as they seemed. I found the locking mechanism and opened it.

I proceeded to the center of the installation. I kept my senses sharp and was listening to the Force, so I was able to bypass three deadly traps when I finally made my way to the control room.

There was a medical droid in the control room when I got there. He turned to look at me and said, "Hey! You're not Darth Tyrannous?"

I reached out with the Force and flipped his off switch. He went down like a sack of spare parts.

I surveyed the estate from the control room. The place was huge. The whole tableau served as a tribute to Grievous' oversized ego, which meant size was clearly a part of it. There were lavish, though tasteless and gaudy furnishings laid out beside monuments to himself everywhere. A number of large, dangerous creatures were kept as ego self-strokers and traps. I set them loose on the surface. There was also quite a bit of Separatist war material, including a number of top of the line Separatist battle droids. There was also a very top of the line physician droid, though strangely it had been equipped with a snarky and disrespectful personality, apparently on purpose, which made no sense. Lastly, all the droids that had been used to build the place were stored here too. They were high quality machines capable of producing some very solid, high quality construction.

In addition, there were his trophies. Heads of prominent defeated foes, including several from clones were included. Nahdar Vebb's preserved body was on a stand. I took him down and gave him a proper funeral. There was also a collection of light sabers. I added them to the others I already had one by one. The last two sabers surprised me though. They were Athacalena's and Fion's. I reverently put aside Athacalena's when I picked it up, but somehow was caught completely by surprise by Fion's as if it didn't make total sense to find them together.

Once again, I thought I was past tears only to find myself on my knees holding the lightsaber to my forehead, weeping with great undignified sobs. I knew Fion and I were never going to be lovers. We were never going to leave the Order and go settle on a farm. She probably didn't know me except as a mediocre hand with a saber and another of the many foolish boys who no doubt spent time mooning over her. But suddenly she was the epitome of everything that was supposed to be, but now wasn't. I couldn't help thinking that if a Jedi like Fion had survived instead of me, the galaxy would be so much better off.

There were hundreds of droids present. It would have been an impossible chore to reprogram them all one by one. Luckily, they were all nicely tied into the control room and I could do it in one shot. It still ended up taking a whole day, as I had to deal with many special cases, such as the code Dooku had put in one of the control room assembly droids to always leave him a back door, but it was quite doable.

I visited all five bolt holes. They were all huge, well-hidden and had some useful gear.

I then found a spot in an otherwise dead end, off the beaten track system with a dim red dwarf star, no habitable worlds and no known resources or value. My spot was a large rock, about nine hundred clicks across, with a lot of nickel iron. I checked the orbital dynamics carefully. She wasn't likely to have an impact for at least a hundred and nine-teen thousand years. That seemed acceptable. I suppose if I was around that long, I could just move right?

I dragged all the useful things from Grievous' bolt holes to my own. I took more satisfaction than I should have from despoiling his legacy.

I carefully laid out a lair with his designer droids. We started by drilling down to the core and installing the energizers. I made sure, as we built, that we left large amounts of rock and metal, so this place could take a beating. Aside from the landing bay, the next step down was one hundred klicks. I went out and bought top of the line mechanical, force field and gravitic structural shock absorbers, similar to what were used in buildings on quake-prone worlds to make sure the rock would be able to respond with both strength and flexibility if she took a pounding. I built a landing bay with an opening about twice as large as Bearer and with enough space to hold about half a dozen of her if I wanted. Inside I built a sickbay, quarters and many different workshops and labs. She also got a deep reservoir for fuel, so she could withstand long absences and sieges. I then added a gravitic generator.

Gravitic generators worked on the same principal as the gravitics we use to provide artificial gravity on space ships and stations as well as provide thrust for maneuver, except in reverse. As those normal gravitic systems take energy and create gravity. A gravitic generator harnesses gravity and creates energy. As long as the generator lasted, the base would have power. It would also reduce the number of times I had to bring fuel, which was a chore.

The opening of the landing bay was a typical force field arrangement that one might have seen on hundreds of stations and hard vacuum locations except that I also installed a second outer door that would slide up and down with normal looking rock on the outside. It wasn't a perfect illusion. It would hide well from sensors, though sentient eyes, if they were staring right at it, with lots of floodlights, could probably pick it out, but they would have to be very close.

Inside, I had a large number of BX series droids armed with the E-7 rifle which was roughly comparable to the DC-15s which the Republic was issuing at the end of the war. I arranged them into squads with five BXs and one Destroyer. If someone landed troops here, we would put up a fight. I had two squads inconspicuously stored on Bearer. Being droids, they could be kept permanently in very non-descript storage lockers.

Which led to my next idea. I had a bunch of IG-100 MagnaGuard Droids and not much to do with them. I had little hidden compartments installed throughout the facility. I would use them as passive security.

The big thing I had gone to Grievous' holes for in the first place had been Vulture droids. What most don't know about Vulture droids is that they were continuously being improved throughout the war. The Confederacy entered the war with what would later be known as Alpha grade Vultures. Just after hostilities began, they upgraded to the Beta. Of all Vultures deployed by the Confederacy, over sixty percent were Alpha and Beta. Nine months in they upgraded to the Gamma, and one year later, just before the battle of Exxelon, they deployed the Delta. The last generation, a massive upgrade in an effort to make the most of the remaining, very limited, production was the final version, the Epsilon.

As in previous upgrades, the Epsilon had improved engines, armor and more powerful guns than previous generations. Unlike previous generations, the Epsilon actually had shields and a pair of single torpedo launchers. However, the most important upgrade, by far, was their brains. They had substantially better brains than previous generations, which made them better decision makers and actually able to pilot on par with their clone adversaries.

Now I had a hundred of them.

I staged a couple tournaments of Vulture droids allowing them show which was the best pilot. In the first tournament, each ship would fly three randomly selected matches. The best eighty that left, those that hadn't lost all three matches, went on to a one on one, single elimination, tournament. The best four would fly with me attached to hard points on Bearer.

All droids got a nice new paint job. Royal Metallic blue on the right, and Forest Green Metallic on the left. The humanoid shaped ones also got a Harp logo like my belt buckle on left shoulder and right chest. The others somewhere appropriate, like the left wing. Bearer also got a gold harp on the left wing. I had a gold harp put on my right shoulder. My left shoulder retained the Battle Ensign on the Jedi Order.

The surface of the rock was covered with large scale energy cannons, torpedo racks, shield generators and the remaining ninety-six Vultures all similarly camouflaged to the door.

I had camouflaged sensors, but obviously, when those sensors went active, it would alert anybody in the system that something was happening on this rock. I had some very long passive sensor booms so I would have a great deal of warning if company ever arrived in-system. The booms also doubled as receivers, so I could hear quite a few HoloNets. If I wanted to broadcast, I had a very tightly focused beam that went to a single transmission point off the system's plain of ecliptic which meant even if someone was in system and looking, they likely would still not see it. I still only intended to use it if I was fairly sure I was alone in system. I did have broader broadcasting capability if I decided to cease to be covert.

There was only one system with a hyper-space link to mine. Which was good, because I could see them coming since I put sensors in that system which would warn me, but was bad because if I needed to run, there was only one good vector out which might help them box me in.

While the droids dug and built, I had spare time to spend on several projects.

One project was an exercise room. It was oval and roughly a thousand square meters and fifty meters deep. It was one of the larger spaces. I made sure it had a very sophisticated holographic Hogan's alley built in.

I was still thinking about flight and had been doing some research. The Mandalorian rocket packs are the most famous way to fly, but I was still not excited about strapping a fuel/air explosive to my back. I'd actually run across another system that had rockets in the boots, like an astromech droid. Same problem. I did find a number of droids that just used gravitic systems to fly. That made sense. The gravitic systems sacrificed some range and speed to their fuel/air backpack competitors, but I was prepared to make that sacrifice.

Grievous had some very capable droids for fashioning various custom devices. Now I made use of them. We came up with a piece of grav plate that was roughly chevron shaped, with a flat bit in the middle, that attached to me by harness with a small power source and necessary gear. It would sit in the small of my back. I had a hand control that I could use to operate it.

The exercise area proved a good place for practice. I was extremely awkward at first, but I did get better. I would hold the control in my lower left hand and eventually got to the point where I could go where I wanted at will.

I also found a droid brain prototype. Eventually I figured out it was an original design by Professor Gubacher, one of the most famous artificial intelligence experts in the Republic and friend to the Jedi. I attempted to program it's loyalty to me but was only partially successful. It was hardwired to be loyal to the Republic which was apparently why it had never been used. I explained our circumstances and it decided to join me as that was it's best way to serve the Republic considering the unfortunate circumstances the Republic had fallen to.

"I was made to support the Republic. I was supposed to serve the Jedi." The brain explained.

"I may well be the last of the Jedi and one of the few in the galaxy who still supports the Republic." I explained.

"Then I will serve you." The brain replied.

I also found an actual Republic, now Imperial probe droid. I upgraded the body dramatically, though it did lose it's hyper space drive. Now it had a much stronger shield system which could cover us both at need. It started with a variety of implement arms. I added more to make sure it had quite the array. I had seen the way some astromech droids could slice into a local computer system. I wanted that capability in this droid. I also equipped the droid with both a better short-range blaster system capable of firing fast and hard and a long-range system, so it could strike targets at a distance. The long-range gun was visible on top of it's radome as a long tube. I had produced this droid body as a home for the special brain.

"What do you want me to do?" It asked.

"You're my bodyguard and assistant. You'll go where I go, protecting and helping me." I answered.

"That is acceptable." It answered.

"Do you have a name or designation?" I asked.

"No." It answered.

"Do you have one you want to use?" I asked.

"I want you to name me." It answered.

"I could call you 'Shield?'" I asked.

"Call me Shield." It answered.

I hoped it would be the beginning of a good partnership.

Lastly, I took out the sabers of Masters Palatex, Arunx and Fion. I fashioned Masters Palatex and Arunx's saber's together. Then I added Fion's saber to mine. Now I had two double bladed sabers. I know this sounds crazy, but there had been only one four-armed Master Jedi that I knew of, Pong Krell. He had used two double sabers. He had also clearly been mentally and emotionally weakened by the moral compromises the Order had made, then at some level, had a prophecy of the destruction of the Order and it had driven him mad. Still, in his day, he had been one of the most dangerous blades in the Order. In his demonstrations, he had beaten groups of two, three and on two occasions, four fellow Jedi Knights in sparring. I had recordings of extensive demonstrations made by him.

I had come to realize, I had never been good with saber because at some level, I had decided I didn't deserve to be. I was ashamed of myself and my arms and wanted to punish myself for that. That would be over.

I spent a lot of time in that exercise area practicing. Working on combining flight, partnering with Shield and using two double sabers. I'd like to say it all came together quickly and gracefully in a Force choreographed rebirth. Perhaps with musical accompaniment. In fact, it was slow and painful. I don't know how many times I smacked myself into a wall or ceiling or turned flight off ten meters up. How many times I shot or cut Shield. How many times Shield shot me. Best of all, how many times I cut myself in half with a saber I forgot was there. Thank the Force, with practice came grace.

I didn't name this lair, but in my head, I already referred to her as the New Temple.

I had a job to do.

There was the mysterious case of the Zillo beast. Most people had forgotten the incident. I had not. I was willing to let the issue lie when the idea was it would eventually make possible next generation armor for the soldiers of the Republic. The idea that it was still out there somewhere and would provide a new generation of armor for Imperial troops was not acceptable.

*** On A Station Near Cato Neimodia ***

Ti Bault looked at the last Karkarodon as he was dragged into the interrogation room. This was it. "I've had enough." He thought to himself.

It's one thing rounding up Gamorrean Boar Lizards and Gran Spike Fish, they were stupid and easy to find, but Karkarodons, they lived in an ocean which, once they knew they were being hunted, they swam to the bottom of. The Karkarodon government was none too cooperative either. The Trade Federation had to put extraordinary pressure on them to get the necessary assistance.

"I never want to spend that much time in a wet suit again." Ti continued thinking.

Ti had been the primary bounty hunter contractor for the Trade Federation for some time. He wasn't cheap, but he was efficient and effective.

People took cargoes from the Trade Federation all the time. Mostly, they were violent idiots with drug riddled minds. Ti would track them down, take back as much of the cargo as possible and turn it back over to his employers. Credits, he would pocket for himself. Lastly, he would provide any surviving criminals to the Trade Federation. The Trade Federation would then torture the thieves to death to extract any useful information on accomplices and set a good example. Frequently Ti oversaw the 'questioning' as well, as he was doing on this Karkarodon. However, some cargoes never got found, like the one that had been taken by the mysterious Karkarodon Razor Tooth. None of the gang admitted to knowing the thief, even though they had each eventually broken and given up everything.

Ti had figured someone had been taking cargoes from the Feddies for a while and then actually getting away with it. It was not unusual to round up members of some criminal gang, each time they thought they were the first to come up with the brilliant idea of robbing the Trade Federation or they knew the Trade Fed's rep and thought they were special and ruthless enough to get away with it. It was not unusual to torture some hoodlum from a gang to death and get nothing useful from them. Frequently, not every member of the gang knew about the heist. If the perps shared the info more widely among themselves, that would mean they'd have to share the loot more widely too, and, despite all myths to the contrary, there was no honor among thieves. It was unusual to round up an entire gang and get nothing and that had happened three times now.

It was the same MO all three times. Jump the freighter right when it was plum for the picking. Stun, not kill, the crew, which was canny, since dead crew would have drawn more attention. Take cargo, cripple ship, give ship back with crew in storage closet a few days later. It was such an unusual MO it stuck out. Quiet, efficient, representing amazing intelligence backup. Not stupid or bloodthirsty. No obvious errors. No dumping the cargo quickly for fast credits for spice addictions. This character was well into the top one percent. The thing that had given him away was his blaster. It was a huge, weird looking, piece of custom work. That three such different species and criminal groups would send a single agent with a blaster that looked like that, not a chance. It was a disguise. There were two other unsolved jobs with a very similar MO, but the hijacker had used a non-descript DC-17 pistol on those occasions. One of those jobs had been the still infamous, and Trade Federation still angry about, theft of those fancy Techno Union data pads. Could it be the same guy? Maybe he'd upgraded pistols?

"If I actually caught the Data Pad Bandit, that would mean a big bonus." Ti continued thinking.

***Jedi Knight Furin Kazan, Aboard the Bearer, Above Eadu***

I had tracked the Zillo beast to a facility on Eadu. It had a small guard detachment, a single platoon of the new 'Storm Troopers.' Might also be some of the new 'TIE fighters' and some cannon. The research team was comprised of Dr. Sionver Boll, an Imperial Intelligence agent and some droids. I looked at the facility and ran many different scenarios for the attack. There was one way that was fastest and most likely to succeed. I would be lying if I said it didn't appeal to me.

Bearer swung around, and, without proper code, the base's six TIE fighters scrambled. The anti-air gun started firing.

I bulldozed Bearer right through their formation, frustrating the gun that now couldn't target me without targeting the fighters. I passed through the fighters just as they were getting off the ground throwing them into chaos and slow, badly chosen vectors. Bearer took some hits to shields but I blasted one TIE on the way through. Each of the Vultures then took a single slow-moving target.

Just as the AA cannon was staring to get a bead on me, two vultures blasted it. The other two shared the last TIE.

When I landed, the two Vultures who took the cannon got to land and protect the ship. The other two flew high cover.

I walked off the Bearer followed by Shield.

The first guards were scrambling and firing.

Both of my double sabers energized in my hand. I have to give credit to the Storm Troopers. We caught them completely by surprise, but they fought to the end. They didn't run. They didn't panic. If they had managed to get together, I might have been overwhelmed. Instead we ended up taking them in three groups. My sabers flashed, they died.

When we got to the lab, Shield stunned Dr. Boll. I killed the spy. We destroyed the droids. We downloaded the records of the facility. Then we placed Dr. Boll in a hood with binders on her wrists, elbows, knees and ankles and Shield took her to the ship. The beast was amazing, all ninety-seven well preserved meters of him. He was practically packed for shipment already. A few waves of the Force and he was in an extra-large shipping container on a hover platform heading outside. Some high-energy explosives around the fuel systems would insure nothing was left of the facility.

I'd had a calling card made up. It was made of high quality nickel steel, but thin as a piece of paper. It had been carved, not forged. There was nice filigree around the edge. On the card, etched in nice simple type, was the message, "The Jedi Live."

Beneath the message was etched the Battle Ensign of the Order.

I dropped it on the ground just outside the range of the explosion.

As we pulled away, an explosion more than strong enough to completely destroy the facility went off.

Dr. Boll flew with us back to my new fortress. I placed her and the beast in the lab I had prepared for her, much better equipped than the one she had been in, with a new set of droid assistants.

As I waited for the good doctor to awake, I reviewed their research. Rather than try and develop better armor, their goal had been to clone the creature. There was only one reason the Emperor would want to do that.

I had Shield remove the hood and restraints.

"How dare you do this to me! The authorities will find out and hunt you down!" She yelled.

It was actually kind of funny, but I suppressed my laugh.

"You are in no danger Doctor. Please do not be afraid." I said calmly.

"How can you expect me to believe that? Even though I was stunned, I could hear that explosion. You killed everyone else on that base. All those soldiers. My assistant…"

"Your assistant was an Imperial spy," a wave of my hand had Shield go and activate a screen with a full set of reports he had been writing about Dr. Boll. Many not particularly complimentary. Then I continued, "and the Soldiers were killed by me in an open and clear act of war. The Empire has declared war against me and mine. I have every right to self-defense."

"If I ever get out of here, I will direct every bit of the Empire here to get you!" She threatened emptily.

"You do not know where you are. You will never know where you are. Even now, a number of different sources are revealing damning evidence that you are a traitor to the Empire. It was easy to do, I just built on what your assistant already reported. If you think you'll be judged fairly, those loyalty officers have quotas to fill or they're punished. Think they'll dig deep for your innocence? Think you'll ever get a fair hearing? If you show your face again, you'll be lucky to be tortured to death."

"So, I should just accept being your captive and slave then?" She asked.

"No. When you complete the task I ask of you, you will be taken from this place. You will still never get to know where you are now. You will be furnished with a new identity and settled on a nice mid-rim world with a very comfortable trust fund. If you want them, you will be provided with academic credentials. I can assure you, even without my intervention, the Empire intended to kill you. You would have never left Eadu alive. You were being used to produce terror weapons. You know they could not have allowed you to wander off and talk, maybe give testimony to the Senate." I replied.

She sat back then, clearly knowing the truth that she had been hiding from herself for some time and said, "So what is it you want?"

"I want what should have been sought from the beginning, the key to better armor. When you find it, you will be released." I answered.

"What's to keep me from giving that secret to everyone once I leave?" She asked defiantly.

"You can. I won't stop you. Of course, Imperial Intelligence will notice, and your identity won't stand up to their intense scrutiny. Then you will get to enjoy their tender mercies. This lab is not a luxury resort, but it's comfortable. I think you'll find the food better than you got on Eadu. If I become convinced you won't cooperate, I'll simply take you to a mid-rim world and release you. No new identity. If you really don't want to cooperate, just let me know now and I will release you now. Unlike the Imperials, I don't like to murder innocents, though you are not completely innocent. I'll let them do it for me. I hope you'll realize, despite the shock of the experience, this is a rescue. This is the first chance you've had in a long time to get out of this with a whole skin."

"How do I know that if I do everything you ask, you won't just shove me out an airlock?" She asked, genuinely concerned.

"Look at this lab around you. Money means nothing to me. The cost of establishing you on the planet is less than a blink of the eyes for me. On the other hand, some day I may want some more work done. You may wish to work on this project again and provide me with an even better solution. The smart move is to leave you alive. Also, as I said before, I don't like to kill innocents." I answered.

"Give me a moment to think." She asked.

"There's a call button by the door. When you want me back, just hit it. Food is over there and the lav is over there." I answered pointing appropriately.

Then I left.

The fact that I offered to release her immediately should have been reasonably good proof of my good intentions. If she called me and asked to be released, I would have no credibility if I refused.

Nine minutes later, the call signal sounded. I went back to the lab.

"I'll do it. We had already completed some research in that direction. I can't give any promises, but I'll try." She said.

"That's fine. Unlike the Empire, there is no threat of death. If you can't solve the problem, you'll still be released with payment. If you do find the solution, the reward will be substantially greater. Either way, I will happily escort you to your new home." I replied.

Then I left. The Doctor Droid was more than capable of overseeing Dr. Boll and the base. I had work on Corellia.

I went back to Corellia and got the transports flying again. I visited Corbeen.

"I want to increase the fleet to twenty ships. Please start shopping for me at your convenience." I started.

Corbeen and I talked for some time. Apparently, he had come up with another enterprise in my absence. He would buy ships in disrepair. Fix them up good as new or better and sell them on for a profit. The trick being, the ship had to be enough in demand so it would sell quick. Also, the damage could not be too great, otherwise the repairs would be too expensive, and the damage couldn't be too light, or he couldn't get a big enough discount. It was fascinating.

"Why not just continue it then?" I asked, genuinely curious.

"Pays the bills and keeps the place open, but that's about it. Custom work pays better." He answered then continued, "So I should have the latest project out of the yard before the end of the week. I should be able to find a new IXp3 or better by then and get it polished up."

I had promoted Captain Thomas to business administrator. I had provided him with the commodity tracking droids. We acquired some office space on Upsalon near my dock, though my dock belonged to a different business. We would also hire some additional people, one of Corbeen's sons and one of, now, Captain Kory's daughters to help. We improved pay to include normal benefits and pension on conventional runs, since we might have to do more conventional runs for a bit. I left Captain Thomas with a big account of credits to run the business, though I expected we would be earning a profit. We earned a decent profit even on normal runs.

While I had been away building my hidey hole, I had spoken with Corbeen about another project that would take priority. I wanted to do a survey. Corellia is one of the great shipyards of the galaxy, possibly the greatest. However, it seemed that everything in Corellia was done to a price. My experiences, particularly Mandalore, had shown me there was better to be had. I also knew that nearly every substantial star faring civilization, and there were thousands in the core alone, had its own shipyards as well. Those yards might build every bit of the ships themselves and some might import some components, but many advertised aggressively that they had products superior because of technology, craftsmanship, or some other advantage.

On the subspace radio, I spoke with Corbeen.

"I believe that other shipbuilding component producers in other systems may have better products than what is produced here in Corellia. I want to investigate that possibility. Then, with those improved components, I want to build a ship from the ground up." I began.

"You want to do what?" Corbeen replied. We talked for some time. He was not convinced that anyone could produce anything space ship related that was better than Corellia. I eventually got Corbeen to cooperate on the basis that it would be a sort of wager.

I would pay to outfit and staff eight vessels. They would be equipped so they could independently test and analyze a sequence of different systems that comprised what Corbeen and I considered the primary systems on a starship. They would go out, visit ship and component manufacturers in nearby major systems and some well-known outfits further out.

Corbeen and I also went and visited a ship architect that he liked.

I tried to explain, "I need a rugged ship, about the same size as the Gozanti, that is blast proof reliable and extremely high-performance. I know these two things don't normally go together. I am prepared to pay whatever it takes to make this happen."

I didn't want the confusion I frequently had with Corbeen about prices. Corbeen, Force bless his heart, was always worried he was going to spend too much of my money. Corbeen wasn't wrong. He was used to building to a price. All of Corellia was used to building to a price. Even military ships were built to a price. If I was any sort of normal, reasonable, rational person, the huge amounts of money I would throw to chase a few hundredths of a percent of some obscure performance metric were crazy. I wasn't normal. I was still unhappy I hadn't gone for the custom ship brain. However, on this ship, I wanted to push for the last hundredth of a percent on performance.

We had a good conversation. I think I finally got my point across about performance when I said, "This project should be thought of as a high-performance warship. However, unlike a normal warship where the budgets need to be reasonable, decisions will be made by politicians and it would be bad if the prices seemed too high, I am paying for it and it's my hide on the line. I want the best of what can be got."

Maybe even Corbeen understood a little better now. We discussed what I wanted, which was essentially pretty similar to what I had on the Gozanti, but more. Also, there were one or two other pieces I wanted as well.

The Architect would do some preliminary plans based on using components similar to what we had used on Bearer.

So, I had those three irons in the fire.

I took a long hard look at my erstwhile adversaries. The Banking Clans were crippled. The Trade Federation was suffering, and I was building my fleet to make them suffer more. The Techno Union had never recovered from their tablet fiasco. That had allowed a sequence of competitors to start to emerge around the galaxy. I had some plans there. Then there was the Corporate Alliance. They were the weakest of the bunch though I hated them the least because they had, at least, been honest in their support of the Separatists. They hadn't played both sides of the fence and the Republic for fools. They had been the weakest and most feckless, so I'd save them for last.

The Techno Union was vulnerable, and I started doing research on my next plan for them.

Still, the Trade Federation was first on the chopping block. The additional ships I would be adding to my line would put more pressure on them. I had another project in the offing as well. I had been accumulating useful information for my next project for some time and I felt like the moment had come to move things along.

I traveled to the Ceti system.

While petty criminal organizations were among the inexhaustible resources of the galaxy, one would also never run out of small traders. Small traders seemed to spawn like quantum particles spontaneously from space. Unfortunately, in the vast majority of cases, it is not a viable business model. So, the small trading entrepreneurs would find themselves broke, often pushed by desperation into running from creditors while finding a new willingness to commit criminal acts. Such small traders were so common, they were practically a trope. Further, many of these small traders had been on the wrong side of or in the wrong place during the Clone wars. While the basic rights and wrongs of the Clone Wars were clear, there are a substantial number of systems where the local governments lack a clear mandate from the people, transparency and a basic respect for sentient rights so the right and wrong at the local level could be more confused. Of the small traders, some of these flotsam and jetsam were skilled warriors and had great integrity. They could be recruited for a better project. The trick for someone like me was to sift out these pearls from the vast piles of garbage and my sifter had just got a hit.

Ceti system has two very large developed worlds near the center. Ceti also had several other fairly well, but less developed worlds and a wealth of small poorly developed worlds and moons. Ceti had also recently had it's own civil war mirroring the galactic civil war we had just gone through. The well-developed central worlds had been seeking to continue dominating the whole system and the people living on the outer, less developed worlds clearly wanted more autonomy. Unfortunately, since the system was valuable and strategically placed, the galactic conflict could not ignore it. The central worlds had sided with the Republic and portrayed the revolution from the outer worlds as a Separatist plot. The outer worlds had received limited support from the Separatists, but mostly were an authentic revolution. Unfortunately, for the outer world rebellion, the Separatists lost, the Republic sent in troops and the rebels were smashed.

The person I would be meeting was a veteran of the outer world rebellion and had been an idealist. I would be meeting them on one of Ceti's less settled moons. They had a local criminal, Whig, they did business with regularly. As per my agreement with Whig, he would inform the veteran that he had no work currently for him, but he did know a reliable guy with a big job and good pay and direct him to me.

I had landed at the small, primitive local spaceport then walked myself with Shield to a local bar and grill, had a seat and ordered a drink. Shield hovered. Wearing a long brown coat, the Captain I wanted to meet walked in and spotted Shield. He walked over to me with a determined stride, I noticed his first officer and fellow veteran, a human woman with attractive dark chocolate colored skin and a powerful, double barreled single shot blaster under her jacket.

"Are you the Harp?" He asked.

I stood and extended my hand, "Indeed I am. Please sit with me and have a drink?" I offered. I sat and the Captain, a tall, thin young human with a pale complexion and short brown hair, sat as well. Beneath his long brown coat, he was wearing a tunic and tight breeches with a stripe on each side which seemed a Corellian fashion for ship captains.

I waived for a waiter. The barman, a stooped, sweaty man with a dirty apron, came over.

"Please order what you'd like." I asked.

"I'll have an ale." The Captain said.

"and a fresh one for me and one for his friend by the door too please." I added.

The barman moved off to fill the order.

The Captain looked at me through suspicious eyes, "What sort of job do you have?"

"I have been following you and your crew for some time. I have found you are prepared to commit criminal acts, particularly as they might negatively impact the government of your system which does not seem to understand how not to be over-burdensome and oppressive to residents of the outer system." I began.

"Seems like you have me at something of a disadvantage." He said, not sounding pleased.

"Please don't be alarmed. I just wanted to make sure I was hiring the right sort of people. I've been very impressed with the efficiency with which you have carried out a number of recent operations, but even more impressed with the way you returned that medicine when you found out it would result in suffering for those poor townspeople." I answered.

"Are you with Biska?" The Captain said, starting to get up and go for his blaster.

"No, no. I am definitely not with Biska. I'm sure if I was with Biska I would have already done something stupid and violent. Please sit back down. In fact, I'm looking for something of a longer partnership. Steady work with steady pay. If Biska, or anyone else, tried to bother you they would have to deal with me as well. Of course, you would stay independent. You could take or leave jobs as you saw fit. If you ran into a situation like that one with the medicine again, I assure you I would support your judgment." I explained.

"What sort of work are you looking to get done?"

"There are many cargoes in the galaxy full of valuable things. I am The Harp. I'm a known fence, but I don't steal cargoes. Someone else must steal the cargoes and sell them to me. I make them rich." I explained further.

"Why would I need to work with you? If I wanted to steal cargoes, I could just do it myself." He replied skeptically.

"I suppose you could, but I provide many advantages. You would have to find the right cargo to steal, as the recent medicine situation showed, that can be complicated in many ways. Once you found the cargo, you would need to be able to find just the right place and time to take it without suffering casualties or harming innocents. Then you would need to find a way to market the cargo for a fair price. I can help you with all those things.

"However, I suspect all of that is not enough. You are politically motivated. Your central government, it is invulnerable now because it was backed by the Republic and now by the far more flexible Empire. If you ever want to see things change, you would need the Empire to ease it's iron grip. Should we be able to loosen that grip, a pocketful of Credits would certainly help." I explained.

"So, you want me to leave Ceti and start taking cargoes from the Empire?" He asked incredulously.

"If you ever want to see your goals realized, yes." I answered.

"That seems pretty dangerous and I like it here in Ceti-space just fine. Thanks, but no thanks." He began to refuse and get up.

"I know your ship is out of fuel. You have no food in your larder. You have no money. You are wanted and being hunted. It is a matter of time before the Ceti Secret Police and their little blue gloved hands find you. I am glad that you are proud, but you have obligations. Is my work not good enough for you? I know you have pirated cargoes here and you were looking for another such job with Whig. I offer you everything you ask for, but you don't want? What am I missing?" I asked.

"Seems too good to be true." He answered.

"Fair. It is too good to be true but is. Perhaps it's time for a nice gesture on my part. Oh, and here are the drinks. Your first officer just started drinking. Don't make her leave so soon." I said as the barman saved me by finally delivering the drinks and I pulled out a piece of paper.

I continued, "I also happen to know that you're on the run from the bank. You bought that ship on credit in someone else's name. Does your crew know that? You haven't been making regular payments for some strange reason. Forget the authorities, those bank bounty hunters know how to repo a ship. You're also not the legal Captain of the ship because you don't have the appropriate certifications. Your ship has major mechanical and structural issues which are about to come due as well."

"Yeah. Okay. Things aren't perfect, but I'm doing everything I can to keep us flying, because as long as I keep us flying, we're free." He said.

"Not everything. I'm giving you the golden chance and you're not taking it. As I said before, perhaps it's time for a nice gesture on my part. Please take this." I said as I handed him the paper.

"What's this?" He asked as he took the paper.

"That is Title to your ship. Free and clear from the bank. I bought it from them." I answered.

"What about my down payment? What about the payments I did make? They're supposed to sell the ship at auction and I'm supposed to get whatever amount is above the loan amount!" He seemed very angry.

"I am so glad you're conversant with the financial details. Actually, based on your lack of payments and the fact that you have remained out of contact with the bank for more than six months, they're allowed to sell the ship for whatever they can get for it, which is not much since the ship is not present. I'd also point out that the person who would get that very hypothetical refund is the person in whose name you borrowed funds to purchase the ship. Also, considering the ship's current condition, her value is the scrap value, which is not as high as the cost of transporting her to the scrap yard, which is why the port where you are sitting is being so patient. Her value is also not as much as what I paid for her." I answered.

"So, what's the deal? If I don't do the job, you have the local authorities impound my ship?" He asked sullenly.

"That is the way these things are done, isn't it? However, it's not the way I do things. Look at the Title, that is your name on it, not mine. If you decide to get up now and walk away, it's still yours. I don't want people around who don't want to be there. What you haven't figured out yet is that we have the same goals. Ceti can't be free until the Empire has better things to think about. I also can't have what I want until that happens. You've been wasting your time and efforts. I have not. I know where high value cargoes are going to be from now till the end of time. Every time one is taken, it's a gnat that makes the Empire wave it's hand. When we have enough, they won't be able to see anything but the bugs. We'll both have some very deep pockets by then. If you want to spend your money funding a new revolution on Ceti, that will be your business." I answered, finally putting some steel in my voice.

"Okay, maybe we can work with you, and thanks for this," he said holding up the Title, "but you know what's going on with my ship. I can't go anywhere or steal anything."

"I happen to know you love that ship." I said and at this, he blushed.

Then I continued, "If you agree to work with me, I tow your ship to Corellia. We put her in a yard. Everything that isn't upgraded, is fixed. We'll probably need a better energizer, definitely need some shields and guns. You know you're operating that ship with no shields or guns? Maybe a rack of torpedoes. We'll see. Definitely a full tank of fuel and a full larder. My people don't work hungry." I said with smile in my voice.

"That doesn't sound half bad." The Captain said warming up

"Oh, while your ships getting nursed back to health, there's a flight school nearby. You could be accredited as a Captain, some other members of your crew could get accredited as pilots, mechanics, navigators, like that, if they want." I added knowing it would cement the deal.

He got up to leave. I got up as well.

"Where are you going?" He asked.

"With you, I'm sure I need to pay your port bill, so they'll let you leave. We should hurry, I haven't mentioned it, but those gentlemen with the blue gloves are very close. It would be better if we were gone before they found you."

"Uh, okay." He agreed.

I was as good as my word. I took him and his first officer in my speeder back to his ship and paid his port costs. Then I zipped back to my ship, flew over and grabbed his Glowfly class transport with my external cargo grav bay. It was a bit awkward and ungainly. The Glowfly was small, but still right at the top of Bearer's capabilities. Luckily it was a small, low grav moon. If it was closer to galactic standard gravity, we would have needed a grav tug to get her up into space. The money wouldn't have been a problem, the scheduling and the delay would have meant a problem with those blue gloved local authorities.

We got to Corellia space and I took their ship to the yard and parked it. I docked with their ship and took them aboard. Then we flew to Upsalon station, where I docked at my personal dock, which was convenient, since it was close to the offices of Hope Shipping and High Reaches Flight School.

I got them nice quarters, three two-bedroom apartments. Luckily two of them were brother and sister. We got them enrolled in school. The first officer and the Captain would take Captain's School. The Doctor, Security Man and Pilot would take Pilot's School and the Engineer would get Engineer's School.

I got them some gear for school. Then I handed out Credit chips.

"There will be some money on those chips each week. If you don't spend it all, it will stay on there till you do and the next week's money will be the same." I explained.

"What about the ship?" The Captain asked.

"When my associate, Corbeen, can put her in the yard and inspect her, we should know more." I answered.

"Well how long is that going to be?" The Captain asked annoyed.

"Be patient, Corbeen pretty much works for me at this point. Your ship is next in line. We have a lot of projects under way. Your ship is hurting and there is no one you would want healing your hurt calf more than him." I answer.

I went back to my office and called Dr. Boll.

"Have you made any progress?" I asked.

"Progress is coming along, but I will need more time." She replied.

"I've been thinking about it. If you want to leave now, I'll take you wherever you want. You'll have a safe new identity. You'll also get some Credits, but not the fancy trust fund. I don't want you to feel like you're a prisoner. You can leave any time you want." I said.

"I see." She answered.

"Do you want to go now? I can be there shortly. I promise, no harm will come to you by me. You can go wherever you want?" I asked.

"So, I'm not a prisoner?" She said uncertainly.

"No, you're not. If you're worried I'm going to do something terrible to you, you should realize I wouldn't give you this chance. I'd be pressuring you to complete the work. That I am giving you this offer is proof of my goodwill." I said.

"Then I will stay. I would prefer the trust fund." She replied.

"That I am glad to hear. You should start thinking of where you want to settle when this is over and what sort of residence you'll want, estate in the country, big city penthouse. Whatever you want. Is there anything you don't have now that would make you more comfortable?" I asked.

Apparently, she didn't have any changes of clothes or personal things. I rounded some up and delivered them the next day. She seemed happier.

After I left Dr. Boll, I had another moment of feeling painfully alone. Perhaps I was the last Jedi left. It was a sick empty feeling. It was compounded by the guilt.

Ten Corellian standard days, which are slightly longer than galactic standard days, later I was sitting in my office on Upsalon Station with Captain Mel and some of his crew meeting with Corbeen via video commlink. My fifth freighter, Fine Hope, had just joined the fleet. We were getting reports from the survey ships.

Corbeen began his report, "The damage and work needed on Tranquility is extensive. I haven't worked on a lot of Ceti ships, but I was able to research all the issues and can now give a report. Tranquility has substantial damage to her structure. Many key structural members are rotted, buckled or otherwise compromised. Overall, even if we repaired all structural members, structure would only have half the strength and rigidity that would be typical of a CEC civilian ship. The life support system is long past it's serviceable lifespan and needs to be replaced. All three engines, if at peak performance, would only give half the performance of a current model and all need an extensive rebuild. The energizer is shot. The fuel containment system is leaking badly and will need to be replaced. A substantial number of the gravitic plates on the ship are functioning below fifty percent effectiveness. Over thirty percent are non-functional. Adding two cannon turrets and a shield system will require an upgraded ship's brain. There may be other underlying issues that will emerge as we conduct repairs. Oh, and the ship's interior will need substantial work to bring it up to the standards of a Hope ship. Overall, the ship's current space worthy status is scrap. To bring her back to a minimal level of space worthiness will be more expensive than purchasing a new ship with better performance. Full renovations will be substantially more."

When Corbeen finished I stepped in, "Thank-you very much again Corbeen. Well, Captain, you've heard his report. I would be happy to buy you a different ship or we can try and bring your ship back to life? Which do you want?"

Captain Mel looked at his fellow crew members and then back to me, "We want Tranquility back."

"Okay then," I replied then continued, "Corbeen, please put together a plan for fixing and improving the structure. Before we take any action, let's settle on new components so we don't have to tear anything apart twice. We'll need a new life support system, a new energizer, new brain, new fuel containment and we'll replace any gravitics below seventy five percent effectiveness. I want two engine plans, rebuild and replace. I want two turrets, one above the cockpit and one below the tail, each twin 30 mms. I also want shields. When we've been through training a little further, I want to make sure cockpit features are comfortable. I also want three examples of ships we could get that would be an upgrade."

I then turned back to Captain Mal and continued speaking, "Captain, I know you love your bird, but I want you and your whole crew to take a long hard look at what your other options are. We'll rebuild Tranquility if that's what you want, but it will take time and eat scarce resources better spent elsewhere. There's also the small issue that if you're in a better ship, you just might be more likely to survive if you get into a bad spot. I think it's fair we ask you to look. Agreed?"

The Captain nodded reasonably, "Agreed, we'll look."

When the Captain left, I talked with Corbeen some more about a special surprise I wanted to do for them.

I was hoping they would just let me buy them something better. The time wasted refitting Tranquility would be better spent refurbishing freighters and starting a new project we were working on. Not to mention, I liked the idea of them in a stronger ship, it would be safer.

Corbeen did research. I kept checking back with Dr. Boll. Hope fleet was moving cargo. I had almost emptied the larder on my hijacked cargoes. I didn't need the income, but it showed me I hadn't hurt the Feddies in such a long time. I was hoping to subcontract that work out to Captain Mel and a fleet of others if he panned out to be a success, but it looked like it was going to take a while to get that ship of his into shape.

I was doing research on the Techno Union in my copious free time. It seemed like the simplest way to cause them pain was to invest in their competitors. Since I was in relentless need of new places to put the vast sums of Credits I had under management, that seemed like two enemies slain with a single swipe of the saber. I was trying to pick out companies that would likely become ongoing concerns. I didn't need big returns but throwing money into sham companies would not be useful. Ideally, I wanted companies that would have the potential to be successful with a large infusion of cash. If I could obtain substantial control, that would be nice too.

My afternoon's research came up with one company, Incom. Apparently an up and comer in the space fighter business. I placed a call and spoke with someone in their investor relations department. We negotiated for a while about an investment, what level of ownership that would result in and what sort of control I would gain in the concern. We came to a tentative agreement, and I scheduled a visit for later that week.

It wasn't the most boring conversation I'd ever had, but it left me thinking that a securities exchange like they had on Scipio, but on a larger scale might be a good idea.

I subscribed to several HoloNet services whose job was just to follow conflicts throughout the galaxy. Despite the fact that the Clone Wars were over, and the Separatists vanquished, there were still many holdouts and unsettled areas where conflicts were ongoing. I was watching to see if anything might emerge as some sort of "Galactic Rebellion." I didn't expect such an armed insurrection. After all, we had just fought the Clone Wars. Whatever one felt about the CIS, they had succeeded in rallying thousands of systems and building a substantial war machine. The squishy Republic still managed to crush them. I don't think anyone thought someone could launch a new insurrection with anywhere near as much capacity as the Seppies and the Empire looked like a much tougher customer than the Republic. Still, if there was a conflict, there was always more information to be had and perhaps opportunities to bleed the Empire some.

The HoloNet services indicated that the Corporate Sector system of Salient, apparently supported by other Corporate Sector worlds, was engaged in active hostilities against the Empire. "What the Force might will." I thought to myself in astonishment. I would need to monitor the conflict. There was a part of me that wanted nothing more than to jump into Bearer and fly off screaming. I restrained myself. The Corporate Alliance was one of my key targets, but further down the priority list. They had merged into the Corporate Sector, apparently taking their willingness to resist authority with them. This rebellion pulled them off my list. If they were willing to engage in active, armed resistance against the Empire, they were now an ally. The Corporate Sector worlds seemed to have everything they needed. They had ships, supplies, ground forces and money. There was no obvious way for me to intercede. I would watch and build dossiers.

*** Ti Bault, Cato Neimodia***

Ti Bault was very frustrated. He had studied the five hijacking incidents. He had tried to track all the ships at each station that had been the freighter's final departure point before being hijacked. The records at the first two stations were inconclusive. The records at the final three stations had shown a highly modified Gozanti class transport had been present at all three times. The problem was how to start a galactic all-points bulletin for a highly modified Gozanti. There were a large number of Gozantis still in service with the Imperial Navy as well as other navies throughout the galaxy. It was probably the second most popular military ship in service after the Corellian Corvette. CEC had also manufactured many Gozantis that were sold on the private market. Many Gozantis in various military services had been sold as surplus. There was even a civilian only version called the CROC which was popular as well. Pretty much everyone who owned one modified it. It was not beyond the realm of coincidence that they were three separate similar craft. The last incident had happened months ago. Bault needed more incidents. What happened to this hijacker? Bault had to accept, this guy may have just decided he had enough.

***Jedi Knight Furin Kazan, Incom Headquarters, Fresia***

I was visiting Fresia. It was a beautiful blue, orange and green marble floating in space. When I landed at one of the Incom corporate pads, I stepped out into the hot, moist air to be greeted by a tall thin human male with fashionably cropped orange hair, "Hi I'm Mik Balquin. I'm an investor liaison."

He was dressed in fashionable, slightly dated, business wear. I was wearing a set of my prosperous trader clothes.

"Are you hungry or thirsty?" He asked.

"No, I'm fine." I replied.

"Then please come with me." He said gesturing.

He took me to a well air-conditioned round stucco building. The insides were pleasant, clearly where they took the VIPs. They got me a fruity, slightly alcoholic drink and showed me an interesting holovid presentation on where their company came from. How amazingly efficient their production lines were. How remarkable their technology was.

When the holo was over I asked, "Is it time for the tour now?"

"Of course, of course." Mik answered agreeably.

He showed me around the facility. They seemed to have very nice facilities and he let me, after I produced my Captain and Pilot credentials, take a spin in one of their latest models, a T-65 X-Wing. I had my Vultures launch. We did some hassling. I was surprised how well I did in the X-Wing. I was really amazed by the controls. They were so simple to operate. Eventually I landed and was greeted by a substantially paler Mik.

"How was it for you?" He asked.

"Pretty good. I was impressed by the controls. So why don't we go get something to eat and you can answer the obvious questions." I replied smiling.

He took me by speeder to a nice local place where they served the smoked meat of some local beast. It was quite good.

Mik began boldly, "You mentioned an 'obvious question?'"

"Yes," I answered then asked, "You're a maker and seller of fighter space craft, but the major purchaser of these craft has clearly decided to go with Sienar Systems and their TIE fighter. What sort of sales prospects are left?"

"Yes, we were disappointed by the decision of the Empire to go with the TIE. The TIE is a good fighter and has a very low per unit cost. However, it's the exact opposite of our philosophy. I would remind you that at the beginning of the Clone wars, the Republic favored Sienar Fleet Systems products exclusively. However, as the war dragged on, several Incom products began to be bought in large numbers as their inherent advantages became clear. Further, the Empire is hardly the only military in the galaxy investing in new hardware. Recent advances have been so dramatic, many militaries are thinking of upgrading. As an investor, you would be buying into Incom now, at a rock bottom price, before new contracts are acquired." Mik answered adroitly.

"Are there any such contracts about to be announced?" I asked knowing the answer.

"Not at this time. We continue to bid on contracts and promote our products, but no, I can't say any contracts are about to be announced. However, when we got contracts during the Clone wars, the process was greatly expedited." Mik answered giving what I expect was the company's standard position.

Of course, I was getting a big chunk of the company for my investment. If they had a pile of juicy new contracts on the table, it would be a lot less.

"Those upgrades depend a great deal on how stable the galaxy is don't they? Those militaries are betting on quiet so they're keeping their Credits dry expecting further technological improvements." I ribbed him a bit.

Since I knew I would be doing everything I could to destabilize the galaxy. I was playing a bit of a self-rigged game.

"I would never hope against peace, but I know peace comes most from being well prepared." Mik answered, doing a great job of putting up with me.

"Why wouldn't the next military just buy more TIE fighters? I understand they have a purchase price half of what your X-Wings do?" I asked pointedly.

"Good question," Mik answered clearly stepping onto well practiced ground in his sales presentation, "as you've seen in our literature, in head to head combat simulations, the X-Wing can defeat between three to four TIE fighters, making her a bargain. That doesn't even begin to take into account the strategic advantage of a hyper space capable fighter. More importantly, space fighter craft have a lot of fixed costs. It costs a lot to train and employ pilots. Then it costs a lot to base and maintain the machines. The difference in cost between an X-Wing and TIE is such a tiny percentage of that. Considering the greater survivability of X-Wings with their built-in shielding, they're practically a bargain. Not to mention the emotional costs that come from taking heavy losses."

Mik made some good points. I had come ready to make my move. We did the 'paperwork' there at the dinner table. I acquired a substantial ownership position in Incom.

Mik walked me back to my ship. I had the pilot droid get us underway back to Upsalon and got a good night's sleep.

The next morning, I got back to Upsalon and began doing research on other investment opportunities.

My pirates were doing well in school, except for the security one, who seemed a bit dumb, he had flunked out. On the other hand, Captain Pagot said the girl that was their pilot, Brook, was the most gifted pilot he'd ever seen. The security guy had found the Gunsmith's Hogan's alley and was spending a great deal of time there.

Corbeen was chuffing along with orders. The first survey ship had returned. Corbeen's youngest son, Jotun, had taken her out. It had been a chance to earn a decent paycheck and see a bit of the galaxy. Considering the timing, we discussed sending him back out and checking out some more systems that we had originally wanted but had decided not to take for lack of time.

I became aware of someone in Trade Federation Security working on tracking me down, again. I had been through this many times already. If this was an old drama from the Classics, I would have met each one, and in duel that tested us to our very souls, and, perhaps cost me something dear, I would vanquish them. This wasn't a Classic though. As I became aware of Trade Federation Security types becoming interested in me, I would evaluate them. The stupid ones, I would leave alone. The smart ones, the ones who had a chance of tracking me down, those I would destroy. It was really the simplest thing to destroy them. I could send messages throughout the Trade Federation network creating evidence of malfeasance. One of my favorite tricks was to take evidence from a real embezzler and shift it to the investigator cleaning the embezzler. The right word here, the wrong disclosure there, suddenly my investigator became a prisoner.

The new one, Ti Bault, was a Corollon. That was interesting. The Corollons came up in every discussion of large scale political theory. The lecture goes something like this: Say you wanted to put together a large, democratic government capable of ruling the galaxy. Not as simple as it might seem. Give each civilization one vote? How do you define the edges of a civilization? Was the little agro world I grew up on it's own civilization, or was it still part of the main civilization of the planet I'd been born on? Was the main civilization of the planet I'd been born on still part of her parent civilization? A reasonable person might answer 'still part' to the first and 'no' to the second, but when and where did those changes happen? If it would buy more votes, I could imagine some civilizations placing a single person on endless space rocks and calling them, "independent civilizations."

So, you say, make it one sentient being, one vote? That works fairly well on human and human-like civilizations, but what about others, like, say, Geonosis, where it doesn't work that way at all? Inevitably at this point in the conversation, someone would bring up the Corollons. The Corollons have been studied quite a bit because they so completely defy so many basic human ideas. The Corollons are divided into three castes, there are the Laborers at the bottom, the Workers in the middle and the Elites at the top. They are similar to humans in many ways, the only obvious physical difference being their pointy ears. The Elites are tall and thin by human standards, generally standing above two meters. Having been tested extensively, one can say that a Corollon Elite is likely to be smarter, quicker and better coordinated than their human counterpart. Unofficially, probably better looking too. The Laborers, at the bottom of the Corollon social ladder, were shorter and stockier than a human and not so smart. Were they sentient beings? Yes. Were they likely to be able to redevelop the hyper drive? No. The Workers were somewhere in between. Unfortunately for the Corollons, as cool as it was to have the Elites, the Worker class Corollons were not quite competitive with their typical human counterparts, generally just a bit shorter too. So how would one apportion votes to Corollons? Not so simple when dealing with many civilizations that aren't just like humans.

So, this Ti Bault was a Corollon Elite. Well, he would break like the rest.

*** Ti Bault, Cato Neimodia***

Ti Bault was sitting at his desk going through the slush pile looking for instances of a modified Gozanti Transport being involved with something. There were thousands. "Ding" Ti heard and recognized the familiar audible alert indicating a new slush pile of Imperial intelligence had just come in. There was some intelligence sharing between the Empire and the Trade Federation. During the Clone wars, the Trade Federation had a cozy relationship with the Separatists, now it was the Empire. Ti figured money made it easy to be friends. The Empire took money and the Trade Federation got special considerations and the corruption never ended. One incident moved to the top of the pile. A Gozanti Transport matching the description of the one used in the hijackings had been used to attack a small Imperial research station on Eadu! "My my." Ti thought to himself. Ti, knowing how things went, had just saved the file offline when the Imperials snatched it back, having decided it was too sensitive to share with their mere junior partner Trade Federation. "Not like we might have something to share, which we do and now we won't. That Imperial Security officer who let that tidbit slide will probably be boiling in oil tonight." Ti thought to himself.

Suddenly a small blue rectangular light on Ti's console started flashing.

"That's not possible…" thought Ti.

Ti decided a drill would not be out of order, just in case, and collected his files. Ti then proceeded to his quarters and took the prepared bag. Ti never really unpacked, anything worth having stayed in the bag. Then Ti made his way to his personal ship. One of the benefits on the job for Ti had been access to the Trade Federation's pool of available vessels. It was a big pool and had some nice boats in it. Ti hadn't spent much time thinking about his own vessel. It was a long yellow tear drop. The fat side was the front where the pilot would sit. A large radome would open on the top and that's how one entered. The luggage went in a compartment in the rear, through the inconveniently narrow part of the radome. There was an engine in the center of the rear and two horizontal fins with small secondary thrusters. There were very limited armaments and no shields. The pilot's seat could lean back and become a narrow bed, so the ship could be slept in, if there wasn't much luggage. There was a small water supply, a tiny food storage and prep unit and no lav facilities. There was only room for one, though a second could squeeze in behind the pilot in a great pinch. The hull was painted a nice shiny yellow. The whole thing was supposed to be hip, thrifty, fashionable, practical, minimalist and economical. The ship made more sense for the younger man Ti had been when he bought it and the memories of the young women he had convinced to share the ship's narrow confines with him in those early days still warmed him. Unfortunately, easy access to the pool had made it easy to forget to spend the large lump of Credits necessary on an upgraded personal vessel.

The efficient Trade Federation pool had been looking after the little ship so her tiny fuel tank was full, maintenance was up to date, the food and water storage were topped up and the waste tank was empty. Ti launched without waiting for the system to catch up to him and forbid his departure. The shiny yellow fuselage would no doubt be a boon to those trying to track his ship with visual scanning. One might hope that the tiny size might hide her from scanners, but Ti remembered the advertising for the 'feature' that her highly reflective hull would be easy for search and rescue to find because it would show up on their scanners so well. The same basic safety reasoning that would encourage one to wear a bright ski or flight suit. Not so good now. Then there was her construction. Ti knew from experience she suffered from typical Corollon craftsmanship. Presumably, if she had been made by motivated Elites, she would be very well crafted, but Elites had better things to do with their time, so she had likely been built by unmotivated Workers, then with the efforts of Laborers to economize. Her long list of unscheduled maintenance moments confirmed his suspicions about her construction.

No time to regret not running to Corellia and trading Lemon Drop out for something better, it was time to escape now.

Ti piloted his yellow teardrop away from the Trade Federation space dock and got into a hyperspace lane that would take him toward Eadu. Once in hyperspace, he reviewed what his system had warned him about. Ti had used his access, and perhaps abused it, to place sniffers in colleague's and superior's computer systems. The sniffers were attached to a heuristic which would put together various words and phrases and be able to warn him if he was likely to face arrest. The precaution might seem a touch paranoid in a more normal world, but in the Trade Federation, it fit right in. FedSec had apparently been only minutes behind him as he made his escape. Ti reviewed the evidence and it was clearly a trumped-up case against him, but it had been assembled by someone who had amazing access to the Trade Federation's internal systems. At one level, it was incredibly frustrating. Years of painful, tedious, dirty and dangerous effort to achieve a position of success and financial security, wiped away in moments. Yes, Ti had escaped with his life, but what life now? On the other hand, it seemed like it might have something to do with those strange hijackings? Maybe this was a sign he was getting close? If so, this clearly showed the hijacker had an internal mole helping him, which made sense. How else would the hijacker always know exactly where and when to hit those ships? If he found the hijacker, that would also likely reveal the mole. With the two caught, Ti felt there was a good chance he would get his old position back. That would also likely mean a substantial reward and a return to his old position, perhaps even some sort of promotion, Head of Security perhaps?

Ti would go to Eadu. There might be answers there and if there were, he would pursue them.

It was a long trip in the Lemon Drop. No autopilot and no real sleep birth saw Ti arriving at what was clearly something of a hell hole of a planet, all sharp rocks and bad weather. There was a lot of activity. An Imperial Venator Class Star Destroyer was sitting over the area and there were lots of sweeps of TIE fighters. Quick thinking got Lemon Drop behind a rock before he was noticed. Carefully scouting, he snuck down into the planet's atmosphere. Then he made his way, carefully, staying under cloud cover and in deep valleys until he was close to the facility. When he was as close as he could get, he found a sheltered spot and landed. He got out of his ship, first voiding bowels and bladder that had become very, very full. Then he pulled on his gear, strapped on his pistol and started to make his way to the facility. He was no amateur at this. As a young man, he had joined the Corollon military. He had been in the Special Forces in an infiltration and sniping platoon. They were very good. The reputation of the Corollon Special Forces was known throughout the galaxy. He had followed the well-trodden path from military to law enforcement and become a top investigator/tracker hunting down and bringing to justice many suspects. His successes represented his skills as a master of concealment and stalking. He had made his way from the low paying law enforcement work to the possibility of better pay in freelance bounty hunting. It took many years of grungy jobs in dirty back space holes before he had built a reputation that convinced the Trade Federation to do business with him. When they did, it took years for him to move up the food chain to be their top contractor. He had spent those years belly down in mud and dirt and sand and crud and things he didn't want to think about, being a master of stalking and a master of being invisible.

Ti worked his way slowly and carefully, making full use of his skills, knowing this was a bad spot. Normally he was the hunter and being exposed would simply be an embarrassment and likely loss of target. If the Imperials caught him here, they'd probably just kill him on the spot. If he was so lucky as to be taken prisoner, a little chit chat with the Trade Federation authorities and things would not pan out well for him. Discovery meant death or worse so Ti was very cautious.

Many hours later, he found himself on a rock looking down on the scene with electronic binoculars. Ti would have staked his reputation and life that no one had observed his approach.

Out of nowhere a foot pushed him on the side and a voice said, "You going to be in that dirt all day?"

Ti looked up to see someone standing above him. He looked like a large human with a broad brown face. The man was wearing boots that looked like they had been hand made. He was wearing some sort of cloak, or perhaps had just wrapped himself in a blanket. The wrap was mostly brown, but Ti could see some patterns woven into it. On top, the man wore a well-worn brown leather hat.

Ti had been in bad situations before. This wouldn't be the first time a bounty got the jump on him. A simple move should serve to turn this around. Considering his circumstances Ti knew he couldn't afford to be taken.

The man was standing to Ti's right so Ti extended his right hand out in an innocent wave which would tend to catch the eye. He also talked in pleasant, easy going tone saying, "I guess you have me dead to rights. You win. Don't worry."

As Ti continued to get up, rolling up his right side, waving his right hand, Ti knew the eye would be drawn to the waving right hand and the mind would just naturally assume he was using the left to push off the ground. Just another second more and Ti would have a small holdout blaster, already in his left hand, in position to fire. Just as he was ready to fire. Faster than Ti's eye could follow, the man slammed down some sort of shock club on his left hand. The pain was intense, Ti's lower arm and hand went numb and he collapsed back down to the rocky soil, smacking the side of his head hard on the sharp rocky ground.

"Why don't we try that again? This time, no funny business. We have two ways we can do this. We can have a nice pleasant conversation where you tell me everything I want to know, or I can tie you to a rock naked and we can see what temperature it takes to burn off your skin. Either way, I get what I want. Your choice." He offered in lightly accented galactic standard.

Ti decided the better part of valor would be to stand up slowly. He wasn't actually sure his lower left arm was still attached or if it would ever function again.

"I'm so glad you chose the first option. Restores my faith in my fellow sentients. How about we start with your name, but you can move on after that to who you are and why you're here." The man asked.

Ti thought about it for a moment and decided to bluff his way through, "My name is Ti Bault, I'm the primary bounty contractor for the Trade Federation. I came here to investigate a lead in one of our cases."

"That's very interesting," the man responded, "by any chance do you have any ID or documents to back that up?"

Ti reached carefully, with his right hand, into his cloak and pulled out ID confirming his identity. Of course, there was an endless list of providers of such documents throughout the galaxy that could provide Ti with documents that said he was queen of the empire, but it was better to show something that substantiated his story.

The man took his ID and reviewed it, then asked, "What will the Trade Federation say when I check this ID with them?"

Ti replied, "I'd really preferred you didn't do that. I'm not really in the good graces of the Trade Federation right now."

"Is that so? Why is that?" the man asked.

"I've recently been accused of some serious malfeasances." Ti replied.

"So, you're on the outs with the Trade Federation, why would you possibly decide to come to Eadu?" the man asked.

"As I said, I'm investigating a series of hijackings." Ti answered.

"You must be the most dedicated bounty hunter in the galaxy. The Feddys probably have hunters on your tail, but you're still investigating for them?" the man asked incredulously.

"It took me a long time to claw my way to where I was. The charges against me are false, created by the same inside man who has helped the hijacker locate his targets. If I find the hijacker and dig out his mole, that should get me my old job back, maybe even a raise and a promotion." Ti answered, his annoyance getting him to speak more clearly than he probably should.

"That all makes a lot of sense, so you know what I'm gonna do? I'm gonna check you're ID." The man said smiling.

The man pulled out a holopad with an ID checking attachment out from under his blanket like cloak and put Ti's ID in.

As he did, Ti said anxiously, "I'd really rather you didn't …"

But it was too late.

"Well this corroborates your story, as least as far as it goes. Why don't you show me the rest of what you got?" The man requested.

"I think not." Ti answered with newfound resolve, "That search you just did will raise all sorts of flags. That means I don't really have very long. Whether you torture me to death or someone else does it, it doesn't really matter much to me. If I'm not going to get anything out of this, I'd just as much rather you not get what you want either."

"Well, that puts us at something of an impasse. I suppose we could try my second option?" The man considered thoughtfully.

"You could. I'm no hero from the Classics. You might break me after a while, but I've been trained to resist torture. In addition, I really have nothing left to live for if I don't get what I need here, which means I'd at least get the moral satisfaction of denying my torturer what they wanted most and I'm the cussed sort that really enjoys that. I'd also know that even if I gave, I'd only be giving so that I could be handed over to Trade Fed torturers who would have no interest in anything other than making me suffer. On the other hand, I'm an expert at analyzing holovid records. You show me what you have. I'll show you what I have. We might both get what we want?" Ti offered.

"You're on the run from the Trade Federation right now. Even if you get away from me and can continue this investigation, they're on your tail and they know you're on Eadu right now. You're a bounty hunter, what would you say your odds are at this moment? Specially with that cool ship of yours?" The man asked smiling.

"Not so good." Ti answered.

"So how about this. I think you can guess I'm with Imperial Security. You could say they asked me on this investigation as a special favor. You give me what you have, and I give you what I have. Then we track down this lowlife and we both get paid. I'm sure it won't matter to the Feddies if their hijacker is tortured to death by them or Imperial Security, in fact I think they'd like the appearance of Imperial Security support, make them look that much scarier. Also, you're with me, you're with Imperial Security, which means no more over the back looking. I know we both can't trust each other the whole way, but we want the same thing we make each other's job easier. You can live with this guy going to Imperial Security, can't you? If you just dragged him home to the Feddies, they might shoot you before you got to explain." The man offered.

Ti thought about it. The man had made some good points. Partnering with Imperial Security rather than fighting it would make this whole thing easier. Ti wanted the honor of dragging the man back to FedSec headquarters, but they were so stupid they just might shoot him before he could turn the suspect in. Further, this man had the jump on him and likely always would, he'd be a good partner. A good working relationship after the fact would work to both their advantages.

"Deal." Ti said, "I don't seem to have a lot of better options. But first, what's your name?"

"You can call me Gall." Gall said.

They went to Ti's ship and he piloted the little craft into the hold of Gall's ship which was well worn but seemed to be in good shape. Gall's ship didn't seem heavily armed, but the engine looked pretty strong.

Ti pulled out his stuff first and they went through it. As he talked, sensation slowly came back to his left hand and it hurt, a lot. Ti focused on the task at hand.

"So, you see, we have a hijacker using a certain custom pistol, likely with a certain modified Gozanti transport. What do you have?" Ti finished.

Gall pulled out a set of holos and they went through them. It was definitely a similarly modified Gozanti that had attacked the Eadu facility. When the man came out trailed by a probe droid Ti caught his breath, this could be his first look at the hijacker undisguised. When the hijacker unslung two double light sabers and went to work on the security staff, Ti caught his breath again. He was a Jedi! Unfortunately, the man wore some sort of helmet and he might, or might not have been using a blaster, but it stayed under his coat.

Ti did a variety of checks comparing the ships. The match couldn't be confirmed absolutely, but at least, looked good.

The very last thing the Jedi did before he got back on his ship was drop something on the ground.

"Well what do you have?" Gall asked after a while.

Ti reported honestly, "We can't say for certain with the evidence we have. We never see his face, so we can't use that to ID him. Obviously, the Jedi has a pistol of some sort, but it stays under his coat. The ship he brought matches the one used in the last three jobs in many ways, but it's not conclusive. We have a likely, but not a certainty."

"That's more than I had before you compared the holos. So, what should our next step be I wonder?" Gall said.

"What did the Jedi drop on the ground?" Ti asked.

"Who said he dropped something?" Gall answered.

"I saw it on the holo. If we are to succeed, we must be partners." Ti replied.

"I suppose." Gall answered then said, "He dropped this." As he produced the metal card.

Ti looked the calling card over and said, "Interesting."

An alert sounded in the cockpit. They walked to the cockpit and saw the ship's scanners had picked up an incoming vessel. It was an ugly squat trapezoid of Zygerrian manufacture. It had entered the system well out in an effort to hide the flare of emergence from hyperspace, but Gall's ship apparently had good sensors. The Zygerrian ship tried to come in carefully, hiding it's approach, but it still got picked up by the remaining Imperial forces who launched TIE fighters, the ship turned hard and tried to flee but it got tagged several times before she limped into hyperspace.

Ti said, "That ship didn't look too good when it made it's jump."

Gall said, "Yup."

"I bet she won't be able to move too fast in Hyperspace." Ti continued.

"Nope." Gall said.

"If this ship is fast..." Ti began.

"She is." Gall said.

"There's only one hyper space path from this system. I bet we could beat them to the exit." Ti stated.

"We could." Gall said.

"They might know some interesting things. I think we should make a point to have a conversation with them." Ti suggested.

"I think you're right." Gall agreed and began to take the ship up.

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	5. Chapter 5

**Legend of the Harp**

 **Episode I: Birth of a Jedi**

 **Chapter 5: Revenge**

***Jedi Knight Furin Kazan, Corellia Space***

Tranquility was coming back to life. We had gone and looked at three really nice ships. Captain Mel and some of his crew toured each ship, given them a very fair consideration and turned them down. So, work commenced. We didn't have the results yet from the survey, so we didn't use any exotic parts, just top of the line Corellian. Considering the poor state of Ceti shipwrights, at least in this ship, I expected a substantial improvement.

We couldn't order the same sort of parts as we did for Bearer because Tranquility was about half the size of Bearer. We did go to Corbeen's favorite suppliers. We just ordered from different lists. The lists appropriate for smaller ships. Everything we ordered, even if Tranquility only needed less, she got top of the line. For example, she could have gone with a class three ship's brain, but we got the best that would fit, which was a seven. She did get three new engines, which would more than double output from stock. I had known it would be a tough sell to replace, rather than rebuild the engines. I had built in the ship viewings as a sort of negotiation ploy. Being the basically decent, fair minded people, they were, having been unreasonable about taking a new ship, I knew they would be more reasonable about new engines, which they needed. We replaced a lot of gravitic plate and did our best to add more. I was worried that with all this new power there might be trouble with Tranquility's frame. We replaced all the bad frame with top of the line Corellian framing and added about 20% more, dramatically improving strength and rigidity, but she was still not up to Corellian civilian standards.

She got two twin 30mm cannon, one on top of her head and one below her tail. She also got a single shield generator. I also got a four-pack rack of torpedoes for her. Tranquility had a hump on her back and we mounted the torpedo rack there.

Tranquility was almost ready when they popped out of school. They all had passed except the Security Guy who flunked out. However, I was aware that he had spent quite a bit of time since at the Gunsmith's Hogan's alley. We had to send them all, except Security Guy, on some freighter runs to complete certification. When they came back, we had a little ceremony at the school and they got their certificates. Then I took them out for a nice dinner at the Tipsy Squire.

I hadn't been starving them with the Credits I'd been putting on their chips each week, but they wouldn't have been eating in really nice places like this either. I was wearing my formal outfit and I saw they were making an effort too. The Engineer was wearing a nice frilly gown. The First Officer was wearing a basic black sheath, which was probably the nicest thing she owned. The Pilot, Brook, was wearing the heck out of a little black dress and she looked quite nice. Their Security Guy was wearing a tuxedo badly. The Doctor made that more obvious by wearing a high-quality, well-tailored tux really well. The Captain looked like he was wearing what was left of his dress uniform, but he was young and fit so he looked good.

They took us to a nice table, resplendent in a white tablecloth and fine flatware. I had them bring a bottle of their best fizzy wine and I toasted, "To new beginnings!"

They responded, and we drank.

"Please everyone, order whatever you like." I said as we reviewed the menus.

They all ordered well. I sided with the male crew members as we teased the female members when they ordered more daintily. I ordered a bunch of appetizers. As the appetizers came and the wine flowed, the Doctor took the Engineer to the dance floor and they had a really nice waltz.

The Security Guy volunteered in his uncultured tones, "You aint gonna git me to dance!"

I asked the First Officer who graciously accepted, and as we reached the floor, the Captain and the Pilot were close behind. After our first song, we returned to the table and had a few more appetizers and another glass of wine. Then the Captain and I switched as we returned to the dance floor.

One more dance is all we got because then the main dishes began to arrive. We ate, and I had them regale me with tales of the training and jobs they had pulled back on Ceti.

We were having a lovely meal and despite having ordered a substantial, and I suspect delicious, steak, the Security Guy drank most of his dinner and got very drunk. He then got up and announced, "I can dance too!"

Security Guy started dancing awkwardly around and taking off his clothes. It wasn't really appropriate since this was a nice place. The First Officer stunned him, and I had Shield carry him back to his quarters.

After Security Guy's departure, I explained my special present, "Tranquility had no sensor suite, Corbeen and I have added one."

I took out my holotablet and reviewed the basics, there were a lot of "ooohs" and "aaahs."

I think they liked it.

We had upgraded the interior, so it matched, as closely as possible, the same standards we had on Hope ships. The Hope ships have more interior space per crew member than Tranquility which meant we had to use more compact furnishings in many cases. It goes without saying she had a full tank of fuel and we had used Batampte to fill her up her larder.

The next week we spent doing shakedowns. There was a lot of new gear on that bird and we had to keep checking that it would all work together. I gave all six of them stern warnings, "This ship has a lot more power than it did before. She also has more frame. But she got a lot more power than she did frame so you can break her if you turn too hard. Be careful. If she has catastrophic frame failure, assuming you survive, I'm not paying to put her back together again."

I hoped that worked. Toward the end of shakedown week, I took Tranquility out for a test flight. She handled very differently from Bearer. Bearer was all about using more power to overcome mass. Bearer could do some amazing things for a ship her size, but Tranquility I found was special too. She had a lightness and nimbleness to her, to wax poetic, one might say she was like a leaf on the wind.

With shakedown complete we spent a week with High Reaches instructors teaching Tranquility's pilots, particularly Brook, Space Combat Maneuvering. I acted as the opposing force on several occasions. It was good for me to keep my hand sharp. Despite more time at the helm, and that small advantage of being a Jedi, Brook took me to school. It's hard to judge exactly how a real confrontation would have turned out. Would shields have held or would there have been bleed through? If there was bleed through, would the armor have absorbed it or not? If the armor didn't absorb it, how bad would the damage be? Would the damage spread, or could it be contained? I got some wins, but Brook was young and gifted. Should I have been able to do better? Sometimes the Force knows what you need better than you do, like, perhaps, I needed to instill confidence in a new young pilot and confidence in the ship for her crew. The Force can be very annoying that way, particularly when I would get the red flashing signal on my HUD that I had been beat for the third straight time. Maybe I also needed some humility. I was glad my new ship program was coming along so well.

I had a quiet sit down with Captain Mel in my office afterward.

"I can't thank you enough. You've been as good as your word. The ships great. I know we could all use that down time not looking over our shoulders. It's nice to have the formal certification. It doesn't really mean anything, but it's nice." Captain Mel began.

"I know what you mean. It's not like I would have done anything different without it, but having it is nice." I replied.

"So, I assume it's time for us to go earn our keep." He said.

"You might be thinking that I'm about to ask you to do something awful and stupidly dangerous. I'm not. First thing, you're a free agent. If you walk out of here right now and never come back, we're even and done. If you choose to take jobs from me, and I think you will because I'll make you all rich, then good." I began.

"I can see now why you thought I was being stubborn before." He opined.

"The next thing, if you take a job from me, you need to understand my first priority is the safety of your ship and crew." I continued.

"I'm glad we're in agreement on that." He said with a smile.

"I don't like casualties. The person I had doing this before you, he pulled five jobs, and no one died. Some people were discomfited yes, but nothing a few days of rest didn't fix." I added.

"That's something that I appreciate as well." He agreed.

"Good. I will give you a location and a timeframe. You can do the job however you like, but this is my recommendation." I began and then basically explained how I had done the jobs.

"Why do you cripple the ship at the end?" He asked.

"Hurts them more." I explained.

"Good thinking." He replied.

"I will be giving you a location where you can place coded messages for me and receive the same. That said, I'm still trusting you with my life. If they get you, you have to give them the second code which will be the warning for me. That's the biggest gift I'm giving you, please don't abuse it. If they do get you, I will be coming. They will want you to believe no one is coming and there is no hope. I will be coming. One more thing, there may come a day when I wish to fight, when that day comes I will ask. You can say no, but I hope you won't."

"I will protect you like you're one of my crew." He answered. That was the best I could hope for.

Then I gave Captain Mel the particulars and the Tranquility flew off on her first job for me. I know they wanted me to think everything went smooth on the job. I know better. They got where they were supposed to be, and the Captain took Security Guy to take the ship. Security guy blew it trying to stun the Load Master and they got into a fistfight. Maybe it wasn't Security Guy's fault, the Load Master was very fit and a former special forces guy. Security Guy did win the fight. The Captain was forced into a gunfight with the Navigator and the ship got a distress call off. The Captain and the Security Guy managed to get control and had the freighter away before the authorities could intervene. They dumped the cargo where I told them and went back to Upsalon. I picked up the cargo with another freighter and took it to my safe place. Then met them back at Upsalon.

"Did it all go smooth?" I asked.

"Yeah fine." The Captain answered.

"Good, good." I replied.

I continued to work on my follow-on ship to Bearer project. In the effort to find the best ship's systems, in the end, we surveyed one hundred and twenty-six providers in one hundred and two systems. There were thousands more but there had to be some limit to my ambition. I had to pay my twenty Credit bet to Corbeen as he had been generally right, if you wanted to buy a ship off the assembly line, CEC would be the way to go. Across the kinds of ship's systems we checked, the ship's systems available in Corellia space were generally better than their competitors between seventy and eighty percent of the time. In the next largest group of providers, the systems available would be about as good, which is not to say exactly the same, but the advantages and disadvantages against their Corellian competition would balance. However, for almost every ship's system we checked there was generally at least one outlier, one supplier where, for some reason, they had developed clearly and substantially better equipment. That said, if you were buying your ship all in one place because you aren't crazy and don't want to spend a hundred times more than a ship should cost, Corellia's across the board performance was best. Since every other supplier we checked, even those that had some of the best systems, would inevitably have weak choices in many other categories, none could put together a complete ship nearly as good.

For energizers, we found a system, Toehiro, where they were at the far end of the shipping lanes for fuel. That meant energy in any form was expensive. Compared to the ThunderCat system we were using in Bearer, their energizer was about 90% of volume and mass, but pumped out twice as much power and, the real kicker, used half as much fuel per unit of power produced. We also found another energizer system from a place called Foreaufai, that could punch out four times the power, at 102% of volume and mass, but ate fuel at twice the rate for power generated. We picked the fuel efficient Toehiro system, not out of any sense of conservation, but because that would mean we would save substantial weight and volume on fuel carried. It's also nice not to run out of fuel in the middle of battle.

For structural framing, we found a civilization, Stentor, where the engine manufacturer had some sort of in with the government which meant all ships built had to use their low quality, low performance engines. Strangely, we had gone to Stentor because of the engine manufacturer's heavy advertising and exorbitant claims. The Stentor shipbuilders had responded by developing super strong framing for the chassis. For the same volume of frame material, one would get twice the strength at half the mass. We now had the after-action reports from thousands of ship battles from the Clone Wars. The vast majority of ships that died, did so because their structure failed. There were general standards for ship structure. Normally military ships had ten times the structure of civilian ships. My goal was to have ten times the military standard. That goal became a problem because even with the Stentor framing, the structure was eating up all the internal space.

When one is building a space craft, one is trying to create an envelope of usable volume in space. The more stuff one tries to pack in, and the reason everyone doesn't do the crazy stuff I do, is one uses up all that space and then one doesn't have room for little things, like life support. Eventually, one gets to "Not a Viable Ship Design." We did everything we could with design to maximize the strength each piece of structural material gave, but still, it was compromising all other functions, which meant I would have to compromise my goal.

The solution came from armor. Armor came from a system, Scoeti, where they had never cottoned to shields, considering deflector shields to be inferior, bad technology. I thought they were very silly, but they produced incredible armor, three times the resiliency for the same mass and volume. All ships had carried armor for generations, though with the recent development of energy deflector shields, the amount of armor had declined. I noticed a trend where new advances would be rejected by some systems, they might give good reasons, but in the end, they sounded a bit emotional. In this case though, I was sympathetic since I knew a large number of ship losses had occurred due to loss of shields or shields being compromised by things like buzz droids, torpedoes and low flying fighters. Shields also didn't help much if you ran into rock or got dinged by space junk near a station. I liked knowing there was another layer of protection under the shields guarding my ship's and my own hide. My armor supplier liked to cast in large sections which meant it would also contribute to structure which carried us over to my goal.

Gravitics were provided by a civilization where the most popular sport was an unusual sort of spaceship race where the ships would have to execute incredibly tight turns and other extremely difficult, and it seemed to me, dangerous maneuvers. The sport had not much caught on elsewhere and I didn't much care for it myself. However, there was intense demand for the best possible gravitics in that system as every idiot with a ship wanted to pretend he was racer, which worked out for me. Their gravitics were roughly twice as capable as the best Corellian equivalent being about 5% larger in volume and mass and drawing the same energy. I wanted every square centimeter of the new ship's skin to be protected by armor and backed by gravitics.

Most groundlings, people who don't go on spacecraft much, don't understand the basics of ship propulsion. Most ships of current design use two systems, gravitics and thrusters for propulsion. Gravitics use the same principles that the systems that provide artificial gravity on ships and stations use. However, instead of providing gravity within, they move the ship without. Gravitics are much more expensive and energy intensive, but are much more flexible, they can push a ship in any direction at any moment.

Since a ship generally needs to move in one direction far more than any other, forward, for that direction, conventional thrusters are used which are much less expensive and energy intensive. Gravitics, are used for maneuvering. This is the arrangement used by the vast majority of ships one sees plying the space lanes. I would also be using this arrangement.

One constantly hears of shipbuilders hinting they may build all gravitic drive ships, though, if it's happened, I haven't heard of it yet. The natural shape for such a ship would be a sphere. That would be an interesting looking ship.

Gravitics are also the reason so many space craft seem to have atmospheric maneuvering devices like fins and wings, they give positions for gravitics to be mounted with maximum leverage. With maximum leverage, less gravitics can be used, saving cost, weight, energy consumption and other things considered desirable in ship design. Bearer has wings like all Gozanti, not because they provide any sort of atmospheric lift, but because they provide mounting points for engines. The wings also provide mounting points for gravitics which have maximum leverage for roll maneuvers, meaning much less gravitic paneling need be used which saves money and allows Gozantis to be sold for less money. In fact, the stock wing had very rough edges which are terrible for in-atmosphere stability. As Corbeen and I worked on Bearer and added more gravitics and armor. We used the armor to smooth out the wing edges and all the other aerodynamic disasters we could find.

My new ship would also have a sleek atmospheric–friendly shape. Many ship designers and operators don't worry about atmospheric handling. The general philosophy is it would be too expensive for limited return. As nothing was too expensive to me and I expected I would spend a non-zero amount of time in atmospheres, possibly fighting for my life and I wanted to live whether I was in an atmosphere or vacuum. So, I was worrying about it.

The new ship's overall layout would be a saucer with two engines. Different configurations optimized for different things. There were an infinite number of potential configurations in the galaxy reflecting an endless possible set of uses, design philosophies and technologies. Any given ship designer would probably have a limited set they were most comfortable with based on what kind of demand was most prevalent in their area. My layout was not fully optimized for combat because I knew I would still need to haul a lot of cargo and have workspaces inside. The saucer shape reduced the surface area to internal space ratio, which was good, less armor and hull gave more space. The ideal shape would be a sphere, but a ship that was too thick would be awkward in a variety docking and landing situations. Engine in the middle gives more stability for less structure. Engines at the outside give best maneuverability. That's why one frequently sees some combination, i.e. a big engine in the middle and two small ones on the outside, like Tranquility, or one small center and two big outer like on a stock Gozanti. The new ship would have two engine nacelles half inset into the body and half extending behind. They would be set about one quarter width in from the side edge of the saucer. This would give strong stability while not totally sacrificing maneuverability. This made sense since she would be loaded with far more grav plate than was at all common.

For the engines, I picked a pair of Headon 1000s from Nubian. Corellia was pretty much at the cutting edge on engine design as I found several manufacturers who were equivalent, but nothing dramatically better. I was tempted to use Corbeen's normal supplier whose engines were working well on Bearer. I decided on Nubian because their design was more elegant with graceful curves which made them more aesthetically pleasing and more aerodynamic for in-atmosphere flight. My ship designer, despite being a Corellian, also pushed for the Headons. I noticed when I reviewed my ship designer's bio that he had done a post-graduate internship on Nubia whose work was known for being elegant and smooth. Nubia was also known for curved winglets which my ship would have.

The Headons had marginal advantages in pickup at low speeds and slightly better energy efficiency. Nubian had never actually built a pair of Headon 1000s, so the actual product might not live up to claims, but Corbeen's local supplier would have had to custom build as well. We had time, but we put the order in immediately. Nubia, incredibly eager to make a pair of the engines, moved them to the front of the production line. I also got the impression that since these engines would be showpieces for Nubia, they would breath every possible advantage on them. We would begin assembly on the rest of the ship. Since the engines were being custom made, I spec'ed in that rather than use their normal skin, we'd use armor from my armor supplier for the bodies, nose and tail cones, which would, of course, be backed by gravitics.

For the brain we found the primary civilization of another sentient species, the Binars, produced unusually capable thinking devices. We actually visited their home world. They were short pinkish beings with big heads. They all had these little cybernetic implants, so they could communicate with machine speech. Their ships were these cute little white saucers with a single tiny thruster in the back. They seemed very docile and I worried someone might bully them. I had Shield talk to their brains and we picked out a bunch to take home. The one we got for the new ship was about the same size and consumed the same energy as the custom model we planned to get on Corellia but had roughly ten times the thinking capacity. Shield said, "This one seems particularly friendly, loyal and dutiful." So that's the one we got.

Guns were another area where there were a number of contenders. It might have been easier to go with Corellia. However, we found one place where the cannon were really unusual. Their cannon had no moving parts. They could fire in any direction by computer control. Each gun looked like a little dome. They took more power per shot then conventional cannon, but the speed they could be aimed was amazing. It was like moving a cursor on a screen. The biggest problem we had was that their standard cannon, what they wanted to sell us, had the roughly equivalent punch of a single 30 mm cannon. I wanted the punch of at least two 30 mm cannons. Most quad 30 mms are used in alternating fire to increase rate of fire. I felt twin 30 mm was the minimum necessary amount to be sure I could take out small craft with one hit.

"Our cannon will be so accurate, that level of performance is unnecessary." They tried to shine me on.

I got my larger twin 30 mm equivalents, really a single 43 mm, and in two spots, quads. Or really, 60 mm guns designed to hit hard.

Since I had just invested in Incom, we had to go to them for piloting instrumentation just like I'd used for Tranquility. I looked at a lot of options, but even though I was biased, I liked Incom best.

The sensors came from a species of water breathers, the Hammarchi. They reminded me of the Karkarodons. They had clearly evolved from underwater predators. Their heads had a bony wing extending from each side which they could use as a fin when underwater. The bony wings were apparently also filled with amazing sensory organs as well, making them excellent predators. As they moved into space, they had taken for granted that they should have extremely capable sensors, so they had developed the technology far beyond what most civilizations had bothered, including the Corellians who were still mostly depending on the mark one eyeballs of the ship's crew looking through plex windows. These sensors would be mounted primarily in four places. There would be a pair of tail fins coming from the rear tips of the engine nacelles. Another pair of fins would come horizontally from the bottom of the front of the saucer, making her look like she had a bone in her mouth. Each fin was loaded with sensors and grav plate, which would be leveraged for excellent pitch control in the front, roll in the back and would mount a cannon on the tip.

Shields were another area where Corellia did well. The standard was already Imperial Military grade which were produced by Corellian firms. But there were several civilizations that had really taken a shine to the new technology and the best of breed made shields we found were from the Plan-Tu. The Plan-Tu shields were twice as strong as Imperial Military grade for the same mass, volume and energy. We went with those. Once again, we would go with four shield generators.

There was a second kind of cannon I wanted for the ship and there were not a lot of suppliers, so for them we did go with a Corellian firm who built the gun custom. We also ended up going with Corellian firms for a lot of other things like conduit and little things like life support, fuel system and hyperdrive. That said, as we used Corellia's best, the survey reassured me that Corellia's best is almost always among the galaxy's best, so it was okay.

I had a lot going on, but while I was waiting for my new ship to be completed I had some time. That meant looking into another side project, which meant a quick trip to Hevurion.

I landed at a more remote settlement. It looked like some sort of new mining operation was getting started so things were a bit rough and ready. Shield and I walked down the main drag. Not yet paved. We found the outdoor café where we were to meet my new friend.

A handsome young man with ashy brown skin, reminding me of home, and short cropped hair walked straight up, pulled out the chair and sat down with great confidence.

"Hello," I said, "Can I offer you a drink?"

"You can tell me who you are?" He replied.

I stood up and offered my hand, "I'm the Harp."

He stood up and shook my hand, "Nice to meet you the Harp, I'm Selew Gurb."

I sat down and smiled, "It's nice to make your acquaintance Master Gurb, but I know you as Saw Gerrera."

Saw immediately scowled and said, "What are you, Imperial Intelligence?"

"Oh please," I replied good naturedly, "You can tell I'm Imperial Intelligence by the way you're dead or shoved in a box with a bag on your head. Friendly meetings at cafes are really not their sort of thing. Now about that drink?"

I ended up with something fruity and red while Saw got an ale.

"It looks like you're trying to put together something called the 'Partisans.'" I ventured.

"I'm not sure what you're talking about." He replied cagily.

"You fought quite the good fight on Salient. I was impressed." I complimented.

"I'm still not sure what you're talking about." He replied cagily again.

"You are now one of the most wanted men in the Empire. That is very bold. Your life expectancy could be measured in hours." I continued breezily.

Saw put his head down on the table and said, "I know."

His tone was sad and a bit desperate and betrayed the tough guy demeanor he had been trying to show up to that moment. I have to admit, I found it kind of funny too.

"I imagine trying to put together a group of effective fighters is a bit like running full out, face first, into a jagged rock wall over and over. Only worse and more dangerous." I said.

"Yes." He answered head still down, in the same sad lost tone.

"I have come to offer you what I imagine no else has." I said cryptically.

"What?" He asked coming back to himself a bit.

"Help." I answered with a smile.

"What sort of help?" He asked a little confused.

"I have five standard shipping containers of useful supplies that you could use. They could be delivered anywhere in the galaxy, including a few miles from here where your camp is." I answered.

His eyes bulged.

"I don't have a camp near here." He bluffed badly.

"Please. If I was an Imperial I would have already bombed you and your camp out of existence. How did you get here? That little hover lorry? Why don't you give me a lift back to my ship and I'll give you a lift back to your camp?" I offered.

"Why would you help us?" He asked reasonably.

"The Empire has already made some bitter enemies. There are few that have the courage to oppose them so the few of us that do must work together. You don't strike me as a new Count Dooku who will rally thousands of systems to his side. My guess is you'll struggle to rally a score of scruffy insurgents to your side. However, that's more than most." I answered.

"What has the Empire done to you?" He asked.

So, I answered with words of treason, "The Jedi had many friends. If they made a move against this Emperor, I think they had good reason, like the desire to save the Republic. But the Jedi Order is now gone, and it's left to the likes of us to carry on the good fight."

"Well said." He answered.

After that, Saw caved and we returned to his camp. His hover lorry held the meager supplies he had been trying to acquire in the mining settlement.

When we landed in his camp we went out and he took his hover lorry down. I put down the five crates, each fifteen by three by three meters.

"The first one has rifles. The second has extra magazines, rockets and grenades. The third has food. The fourth has medical supplies and uniform clothing. I apologize in advance, I chose gear appropriate for human and very human-like species. The last has camp gear like tents, portable energy supplies, portable kitchens, lavs, a digger for bunkers, some scanner gear so you won't be taken completely by surprise and a small, camp-sized shield."

Several of his people were watching and their eyes bugged out as Saw's did.

"Take the fight to the enemy and may the Force be with you." I said as I left them too much in shock to remember to say "Thank-you."

I might seem pretty smart with my shipbuilding project. You might be thinking, I bet other crazy rich people probably build ships like that too. I don't know if anyone in the galaxy was even close to as crazy rich as I was now. Further, if they were, they generally were looking for large, luxurious and ostentatious, not Spartan super high performance. They also, as far as I could tell, would not be interested in the relentless headaches this project entailed. Much easier, even if you're going to build, say, a custom fighter craft, to use the parts of a single civilization all meant, more or less, to go together. Or even better, leverage an already existing ship where all the pieces had already been carefully designed to go together by a large, very capable, design team.

But you might say, "You'll get a supership, why wouldn't someone else spend the money?"

Let's start with the money. To do the survey meant buying eight decent vessels, then fitting them out with some very expensive hardware, some of which we created ourselves. Then hiring a pilot/tester for each ship who would be someone who could pilot the ship, do the tests and be diplomat enough to convince companies to let him or her test their products in a way that might not reflect well on them. One could buy a fleet of Gozantis for what I paid to do that.

Then, when we sifted through the reports and picked suppliers, the parts weren't cheap. Yes, some were bargains, but the Binars, for example, charge dearly for their products. Another small fleet of Gozantis sails away.

So, then you have all these parts, just snap them together right? Wrong! Let's take the cannon for example. For conduit and power cabling, we just got the best Corellia had to offer. But the power cables Corellia uses as standard don't match the inputs on the cannon and we're not just talking physical connectors. The people who made those cannon had some basically different assumptions about what power systems sent then Corellians did. Yeah, a cheap kludge could get the parts together quick, but would lose 90% of efficiency and what we were working so hard to do. Okay this was not the worst problem, it was not the first time someone in the galaxy wanted to snap two non-compatible power cables together. There was a firm that could make power couplings that would bridge with 99%+ efficiency, also known as power converters. Great get 'em ordered, pay what they cost. By the way, the couplings cost more than a set of top-of-the-line cannon from Corellia would have all by themselves. So that's it right, problem solved? Not even close, the software that ran the guns won't run on a Binar brain. So, we could have the Binar brain, trying to emulate a cannon civilization computer and lose, once again, 90%+ of performance. We went back to the cannon people, after a week of talking amongst themselves, their best solution, buy a ship's brain from their supplier, which would mean giving up the huge performance we were supposed to be getting from the Binar ship's brain, not to mention, we already owned it and were depending on it for other systems. We went to the Binars, they would recompile the software if we got the source code for them to run on their system.

We go back to the Cannon people, "We need the source code for the software."

"No, it's proprietary, it belongs to us."

"Give me that software or I will cut you in half!" I say, at least if the words I actually said, "I'll give you a mountain of money." Mean that.

Negotiations ensue. The cannon people actually like the idea of broadening their marketplace and I may have let them believe that we would be making the software compatible with standard Corellian systems, not obscure Binar ones. A licensing fee, a consideration of my large order and the hope for software that will make their product more popular later and the Binars have the source code!

Except the Binars don't get round to recompiling for two months, and, by the way, for what the Binars charge for the recompile, another Gozanti flies away.

During this process, I am in daily contact with Corbeen. Five minutes don't go by without him swearing and complaining. At the same time, I sense a certain pride in him. He's probably one of the few people in the galaxy who could pull off a project like this. This will be a sort of masterpiece for him. This is a special opportunity that no one would ever normally bankroll to create something truly weird and unique.

As the relentless pain, delays and headaches of construction on the new ship continue, at least I start to get some good news from Dr. Boll.

"We already knew the basic method of how the beast was so resilient. His skin is filled with millions of filaments that spread out any energy insult to the skin over the whole body. I have created a kind of paint that, when it dries, should have the same sort of filaments." Dr. Boll explained.

We had a painted sample. She had a test rig in her lab. Test one did not go well.

Test two went only a little better. Test three actually had some promise. Test four would come when further research could be completed.

I had paid Captain Mel and crew handsomely for their work.

"Fifty-thousand Credits, that's a lot for one day's work. What about all the Credits you spent on us?" Captain Mel asked.

"I'm glad you feel that way. I have made a deduction against outlay considering the costs of bringing you back to ready. Be ready for another job next month." I replied.

"Will do."

I recruited a second pirate crew, they were a pair from Galaxity, Valeria and Lawrence. Valeria was a typical lady of Galaxity who felt she was very sophisticated and politically advanced. Lawrence was a "dull" Corellian who could merely fly and repair their ship. Admittedly, Valeria was quite attractive, and she could cook. Their ship, the Le Cygne, was very similar to my new design in shape, both were saucers, but Le Cygne had been compromised against in-atmosphere flight. It had big pieces of cross framing which no doubt gave it great structure and some very good leverage for gravitics. It also had a big oval pilot's window on the front. Pilot's windows were very popular in galactic design, but my new design would depend on cameras and scanners. A big plex window was a good last ditch in case of loss of power or when the ship desired to go without power, but it was a giant hole in the ship's structure and armor. Should I ever need that window when I needed to go without power, we'll see who was right. Of course, with all those cross members and the gravitics mounted on them with mechanical advantage, Le Cygne would be very maneuverable in space.

We dragged out my ongoing project, I think Corbeen needed a break anyway, and dragged their ship in. The Le Cygne was in pretty good shape. A little rougher around edges than what we would buy for a Hope ship. A couple weeks of Corbeen's love had her in tip top shape and ready to be underway.

When the Le Cygne was underway, I had two pirates reporting to me and double the number of cargoes disappearing from the Trade Federation.

*** And now a word from our sponsor!***

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This writer, like the story teller in the market of old, now has a hat out hoping for a small gratuity. There is no obligation and I'm grateful you took a moment to read. However, if my writing has found favor in your eyes, please take a moment to go to:

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and throw in a little something, a dime, a quarter, a dollar, etc.

While I love to write, I do have a spouse and a child and a job and many other claims on my time that don't understand why I would spend so many hours banging on a keyboard. A small tangible return would help smooth the way to allow me to provide many more stories.

Please help. Thank-you.


	6. Chapter 6

**Legend of the Harp**

 **Episode I: Birth of a Jedi**

 **Chapter 6: Rebirth**

***Ti Bault, Former Chief Bounty Contractor of the Trade Federation, Aram Station***

Ti and Gall were docked at Aram station when the Zygerrian trapezoidal prism entered the system and wallowed its way to dock. Ti had been entering notes in his personal system waiting, and upon seeing the ship's arrival, they moved out and carefully followed the new arrivals to the Sutler's. There was a short human man with a leather vest and a single blaster on his belt, a clone trooper in civilian clothes and double pistol rig, a really big furry creature with big claws and a red haired teenage human girl with some sort of long wooden stick. Ti and Gall walked past the Sutler's alcove, found a quiet spot and began to discuss strategy.

"Your job is to take two gun and the beast. I'll take leather vest and the girl. If they get shirty, I have an alert that will bring the station's garrison." Gall said.

"Why do I get the beast?" Ti asked a bit resentfully.

"The beast will go down easy for a blaster but hard for an axe. Vest and girl look like they know how to move, might be tricky to shoot, my axe has never failed." Gall answered.

"Can't argue with that logic, on three?" Ti replied.

***Jedi Knight Furin Kazan, Upsalon Station***

I was sitting at my office on Upsalon Station when one of my intelligence alerts went off. I quickly pulled up the report and read it. A Jedi was involved in the attack on the Eadu research station.

"Well imagine that," I thought to myself with a smirk.

Ti was apparently still alive and hunting. Also, Ti thought the Jedi might be his hijacker. How perceptive. They were now stalking a frustum shaped ship, of apparent Zygerrian design, to Aram station. Apparently Ti had made a friend named Gall, good for him.

"Well much luck to him," I thought and found myself on my feet. I needed to go to that ship's aid. I had never felt the Force move through me so strongly.

"Shield, in the ship. We need to launch a rescue right away!" I barked.

Shield popped out of his charging rig and beat me to the airlock. Bearer was away and in hyperspace in record time.

We blasted into Aram-space having pushed the hyperspace drive as hard as it could go and then some. Aram-space wasn't well patrolled, so I crossed to the station at unsafe speeds and spun to a stop at a docking port using way too much gravitics. My teeth ached from the reverb. I opened the airlock and jumped through before the seal was completed.

Shield reported, "There is a station-wide alert indicating there is a violent confrontation at the Sutler's store on the main concourse."

"Excellent," I replied, "Take us to it!"

We raced through the station to see a large-scale melee in progress. On one side of the main station concourse was a partially enclosed lounge/seating area that was being used by locals shooting at Imperial Storm Troopers who were in the middle of the concourse who were shooting back. The Storm Troopers were also shooting into the Sutler's store on the other side of the concourse. I could see a big furry creature on the floor and a clone with two pistols shooting back.

As I got closer, I could see someone wielding a light saber fighting someone with a shock axe. Then I realized it was Jedi Knight Jors Zaemon!

"Hi Jojo." I said.

"Hi Furry." He replied.

"You done playing with that guy yet?" I joked.

My light sabers ignited, and I wandered into the Storm Troopers. The Storm Troopers were distracted by fire on both sides. I walked down them like a farmer cutting wheat. In a few moments, I was able to clear the concourse. How long reinforcements would take was anyone's guess.

I was about to try to organize the situation when someone shot me in the back.

Then my memory went funny.

I definitely remembered someone got under my arm.

I looked down and there was Fion! She was helping me stay up.

"Fion you're alive! How?" I asked getting a little woozy.

Fion said, "Do you have a ship?"

"Yes," I answered, "It's this way," and I pointed.

I may have said, as we walked, "We could go to my farm if you want."

I hope I didn't.

*** And now a word from our sponsor!***

Please imagine a chorus line of attractive, scantily clad, very fit high steppers in the gender of your choice!

This writer, like the story teller in the market of old, now has a hat out hoping for a small gratuity. There is no obligation and I'm grateful you took a moment to read. However, if my writing has found favor in your eyes, please take a moment to go to:

Pay

Pal

.me

/hemaccabe

and throw in a little something, a dime, a quarter, a dollar, etc.

While I love to write, I do have a spouse and a child and a job and many other claims on my time that don't understand why I would spend so many hours banging on a keyboard. A small tangible return would help smooth the way to allow me to provide many more stories.

Please help. Thank-you.


	7. Chapter 7

**Legend of the Harp**

 **Episode I: Birth of a Jedi**

 **Chapter 7: Jojo's Story**

***Jedi Knight Jors Zaemon, Coruscant, Jedi Temple***

I was a Coruscanti kid, born and bred. My family lived on a working-class level people referred to as 'verge,' as in on the verge of downward social mobility. I didn't care, for me it was home, and I was happy there.

My Father and Mother had me, waited a few years and then shot out three daughters in rapid succession. After the third daughter, my Dad decided he'd had enough and disappeared. We never found out what happened to him. Was he knifed in an alley and became one of those many unidentified bodies that turn up on Coruscant every day? Did he go off world and have another family? That I'd never know, which meant I couldn't hate him and I couldn't grieve for him was just an open sore in the background that never went away, and I had to live with.

That said, I wasn't really the self-reflective type and didn't spend a lot of time weeping about it. I had things to do. I was helping my Ma run our place. I was mopping floors, changing diapers, cooking food, no housekeeper droid for us. This let my Ma spend every spare minute trying to find a way to squeeze out another Credit to keep our bodies and souls together.

When I wasn't helping around the house, I had a little gang of neighborhood kids that I led around. We knew every alley, hole and crevice on the level. We could outrun police speeders and sometimes did. I was seven when I figured out if we put a little girl in front of the droid driven lorry which delivered to the local bodegas, then engineered some chaos in front when it stopped, we'd have a few minutes to jimmy open the back and steal the cargo. My Ma wasn't pleased, but she wasn't above putting the food on the table either.

Of course, with so much responsibility and entrepreneurial spirit, I missed a certain amount of school. This was probably why I wasn't picked out till after I turned nine.

I had missed the two previous times a Jedi had made the rounds at our school. This time I went on purpose because I wanted to see the Jedi close up. Maybe something cool would happen like it always did on the holovid when a Jedi was around. Something cool did happen. I got picked to go to the Temple. I would never have guessed that would've happened.

My Ma was happy to see the backside of me. One less mouth to feed. I was looking forward to three steady hots and a cot as well as my own personal light saber.

I settled into Temple life easily. Lots of other younglings got all homesick, not me. To me it was pretty cushy, except for one thing, I had to go to school. I did fine on physical disciplines, but academics were always a problem. I was older than most kids when I came to the Temple, which put me behind. Further, I had missed a lot of school, which really put me behind. I was attending classes with very bright six-year olds and desperately trying to catch up with my only so-so brains. I did have a tutor, but still, it was bad.

While I frequently felt behind due to being older and academically clearly behind, the one area I really excelled in was the light saber. From the moment our training began with the blade, I just had a natural affinity. From the moment they allowed us to start sparring against each other, I never lost a match against someone of equal or lower rank. I'd get that saber in my hand and I could do no wrong.

I got a lot of tutoring and my academics got better. I would clearly never be a mental giant of the order or among the best educated, but I worked hard, and I got help and I definitely didn't want to risk washing out over something like a sheet of math problems.

When it came time to assign me as a Padawan, I'd been hoping to be assigned to a real tough guy Jedi like Qi Gon Jinn or Mace Windu. Instead, I was assigned to Jedi Knight Leela Romana, or as I would know her, "Mistress."

I think the way they assigned mentors was based on what they perceive as your biggest weakness. They also have some desire to put like with like, particularly as it comes to gender. The fact that they put me with a female mentor showed they felt I really had problems.

I remember our first meeting.

"I am pleased that you have been assigned to me as a Padawan. I will do my best to guide your development as a Jedi." She began in a very proper way.

"Thank-you Mistress. I will do my best." I replied as respectfully as I could.

"I will expect not only the highest levels of academic achievement but the highest levels of decorum as well." She continued.

"She's already harping on me about my academics? We just met! Doesn't she know how hard I study?" I was thinking to myself.

Unfortunately, while I was still thinking, my mouth decided to contribute, "Juuntarg! Don't you know how hard I study?"

"Juuntarg," being a very impolite Coruscanti term.

I got to stand guard at a meaningless internal door for several hours every afternoon for a week while saber practice would normally be happening.

I did a lot of guard standing, fair amount of floor mopping, a lot of walking back and forth down the main corridor and a substantial amount of sitting in the library. Apparently, Mistress Jocasta Nu was Mistress Romana's mentor. The sitting in the library wasn't so bad; I would have been doing homework there anyway.

That woman took me as a rough piece of ore and beat on me hammer and tongs.

My ultimate punishment was when I used one too many colorful colloquialisms.

"I keep explaining to you, being a Jedi is more than being a buffoon with a lightsaber. We have to carry ourselves with dignity and decorum. You will find that dignity and decorum will be far more powerful weapons than a lightsaber."

She would say that to me lots of times.

Then she continued, "Perhaps you don't have appropriate ways to express yourself. I will help you."

Trust me; you never wanted her to help you.

Then she lowered the boom, "I will have you read through the Canon of Classics."

The Canon of Classics was a set of painfully archaic and miserably boring plays and poetry that fancy people pretended to enjoy to show how cultured they were. Many of the human cultures came from a central start which meant their aristocracies were intertwined. This twining had even gone out to many non-human cultures so that their aristocracies would pay lip service to the Classics as well. I had to sit, read, write reports, then watch holovid recordings of performances, write reports, attend some live performances, write reports, stage some performances myself, and surprise, write reports. Then, the most insidious thing she did, she made me watch holovids I liked, then write reports explaining which Classic the plot was based on, permanently ruining those holovids for me.

Then I was cursing her with my every breath. Now I bless her. Hammer and tongs she beat me and if there is any merit in my metal, it was all her doing.

While my academic training continued, Mistress Romana did teach me a bit about the saber as well. She was clearly better than me at the beginning. There's no shame in that, she held the rank of Knight and I was but a newly minted Padawan. She had a lot to teach me. As one might expect, her technique was based on speed, form and finesse, whereas mine had been based on power. Adding speed, form and finesse just made me that much better. By the end of my time as a Padawan I was clearly better, having added her advantages, given freely and unstintingly, to my own. She had other senior Jedi known as being particularly good with the saber spend time training me as well. I was able, by the end to, at least, hold my own against any of them. I know there was talk that I might have an unusually strong gift in the area.

As my time as a Padawan came to an end, I realized I hadn't used a colorful metaphor for quite some time and did not feel the need. I still wasn't the brain trust of the Order, but my academic accomplishments were respectable. I also might never much care for the Classics, but my horizons had been spread beyond the lowest common denominator.

There was one other serious set of incidents that occurred while I was a Padawan. As a Padawan, I had a lot more freedom of movement and discretion with my time than I had as a youngling. I used some of that time to take food and other disposable, but valuable things to my family.

The second time I was caught, my Mentor sat me down, "I don't think you understood just how serious this was the first time. This is very serious. If you can't break your attachments and commit yourself fully to the Order, you will be cast out. There are those who want to cast you out now. I have spoken on your behalf, and judgment is suspended, for now. Do you understand?"

"Yes Mistress."

I understood. By that time, I understood the difference between a decent life and a garbage life. I knew in my gut the only decent life I could hope for was in the Order. It would help no one if I flushed it all down the toilet.

"You are now being watched. If you try this again, you will be caught. Do you understand?"

"Yes Mistress."

"The Order is not without mercy. Come with me." She said.

She took me to the kitchen where we filled a big basket of food. Then we went to linen storage and she picked several sets of clothing and linens for each of them based on my descriptions. Then we went to stores and selected a large supply of housewares.

We then went to visit my family.

"This is so you can say good-bye and have closure." Mistress Leela explained as if I didn't get it already.

We went to my Mother's home. We gave the gifts. My Mom's response was, "What are you doing back here? This aint a place for you to be lazy and shuck work."

My oldest sister wasn't there which my Mother explained, "She knew you were coming to say good-bye, but there's some boy she likes, and she thought that was more important."

My middle sister couldn't be bothered to come down from her room where she was playing and watching holovids.

At least my littlest sister did drag herself down, thanked me for the clothing and gave me a hug.

"Be a good Jedi," she said as she went back to play and watch vids.

I was clearly a lower priority to her than playing and vids.

I sighed to myself, accepted my path and didn't look back.

As my time as a Padawan was coming to an end, my mentor had me meet her at a nice quiet spot in one of the back gardens of the Temple. I didn't realize it, but she wanted to have a serious conversation with me about my future in the Order.

It was a long and involved conversation.

"I have spoken with some of my colleagues. They agree. There is an opening in the Temple Guards, if you were to apply, you would be accepted."

I had been hoping for something different, admittedly, something with more prestige. At the same time, the idea kind of grew on me. Nobody worries about the Guards intellectual achievements. On the other hand, they spend a LOT of time working on their saber skills and use the double-bladed sabers which I found intriguing.

I took the Trials and did well. The Trial of Strength was no problem. I think the main thing was that I had to have the restraint not to draw first. If my mentor drilled anything into me, it was restraint. The Trial of Spirit was more challenging; it tested whether I would give my life to protect. I would. I passed and was Knighted.

So, I applied for and was accepted as a Temple Guard. There was a touching ceremony. The prospective Temple guard is stripped in an ice cave which is just as cold as you might imagine, bathed by two senior Guards in the Ein La, an ice-cold spring which is believed to have been imbued by the Force with purity. Then the senior Guards dressed me in a simple white linen shift. Then they took me by the arms to a private chapel of the Guard. I was made to kneel before a light which is supposed to be a manifestation of the Living Force. I knelt for a full night and day. The next night, the members of the Guard present in the Temple and not on duty filed into the Chapel and the Master of the Guard stood before me and administered the secret oath of the Guard. Then, when all present were satisfied, the Master took out an old lightsaber and handed it to me saying, "This is the lightsaber of Fyrd Ven. Take it and take up his spirit. Learn of his devotion to the Guard, the Order and the Force. Live up to his example so that someday your saber may be given to a worthy new Guard."

With that the ceremony was complete. I got some sleep, then something to eat. Then started fiddling with how to make Fyrd's lightsaber part of my own. Eventually, I had the trick of it. It's not a terribly complicated procedure for someone who's already built one saber.

There was one detail of being a Guard I had not realized until I was committed to it. What had been my primary punishment, became my job. As a Temple Guard, I might, after years of dedicated service and with some luck, be promoted to Master of the Guard and be elevated to the Council. The odds of that were poor. Temple Guards had the specific duty of protecting the Temple. There was a part of the job of protecting the Temple that was very serious and real. The Temple has been attacked in the past. The Temple is on one of the most heavily populated planets in the galaxy with every kind of crazy well represented. The Temple stood for many things and was an important symbol and that attracted the crazy. Security was no joke. So, it was good that we had a strong cadre of senior Jedi Knight Temple Guards who protected the Temple night and day.

However, I was not one of those guards. I was the most junior Temple Guard which meant I would need to pay my dues.

Temple Guards also have a ceremonial role. We dress in our ceremonial regalia and stand guard over a large number of official locations. Among others, there's the Tomb of the Unknown Republic Soldier, all formal Council Meetings have two Guards, there are patrols where two Guards walk through various parts of the Temple in perfect sync which is supposed to symbolize the unity of the Order, then there's the front gate.

A Temple Guard always stands post at the main front gate of the Temple. Always. The Guard is charged to stand perfectly still, unless under direct physical attack, before that door. It's something of a tourist attraction. People come and take holos of themselves with the Guard. It's as close as many people ever get to a real Jedi. For the Jedi standing Guard, it's a long, tedious, boring eight hours. Despite being young and very fit, the back hurts, the legs ache and the feet, don't get me started on the feet. As the most junior member of the Temple Guard, I got to stand Gate. A lot.

There are endless scenes in holovid dramas and comedies of people doing crazy silly things to try and get the guard to break discipline. That made my job so much easier and more pleasant.

In theory, my superiors explained that while the duty was tedious, it was also about learning to detect when there was a real threat and when it was just people being silly. I needed to be scanning and training my mind, using the Force to feel where the real threats were coming from. Temple Guards standing Gate had been attacked in the past. Thank the Force, the lesson had been taught that if you challenge the Guard, it would not end well. If anything happened, it would not be good, but I found myself wishing something might happen just to break the monotony.

Then, nine months after I joined the Guard, something did happen, there was the Battle of Geonosis. If the Order has any ready reaction force of serious ready for combat Jedi, it's the Guard. When Master Windu scraped up all the Jedi he could to take to Geonosis, the Guard was well represented in his force. I was NOT one of the Jedi he took with him to Geonosis. I did, however, get the blessing of standing Gate lots of double shifts.

Then, after Geonosis, the Clone Wars were upon us. Master Windu and Master Adi Mundi squeezed every corner of the Order to raise a force of Jedi to lead the Clone troops. I was selected for that. The fifty or so of us second choices gathered in the private sanctuary and Master Windu addressed us, ""We are now at war. The Republic needs a swift end to this conflict…"

We would be going to war and leading Clone Troops! I was excited and scared about the first part. I would have a chance to get away from standing Gate. As a loyal Guard, I had to think that we had already been stripped to the bone by Geonosis, many Guards had not, and would never come home. We were over represented again in this group of fifty. Was it smart to strip Temple Security when we were going to war? I could only hope wiser minds than mine had thought this through. I was also a little scared. This was real. I could die. The Republic could fall. There were real chips on table.

The second thing was the Clone troops! I hadn't used a colorful metaphor in over a year but was very tempted right now. Clone troops were a crime against all sentient species! What was going through the minds of the Senate leadership? What was the Council thinking?

The crime of clones also struck close to home for me. Coruscant and the Republic had no significant standing military, but other large core civilizations like Corellia did. Those other civilizations recruited their armies from working class kids like I had been. The kids served, put their lives on the line, but got a decent, respected, if low paying job and got help completing a secondary education. They got a chance to serve their civilizations with dignity and honor. Generally, there would also be some benefits on the back end including advanced post-secondary education. Those civilizations benefited from giving ambitious poor and working-class kids a way to move up and contribute. Right now, on Coruscant alone, there were probably millions of poor and working-class kids without much hope who would be eager to sign up for such a chance. If I was still on the streets, I would have leapt at such a chance. I could imagine some aristo senators deciding it would be so much cleaner and neater to just buy an army rather than having to deal with us dirty commoners.

"What if one of those dirty commoners managed, by luck, to be promoted from Private to General, then retired and joined my club!"

"Oh no, you might have a dirty commoner sitting at the table next to yours!"

I had dragged myself up from being an only thinks about what's in front of his eyes working-class kid to believe in the Order and the higher ideals it stood for. Using clones broke that completely.

I very seriously considered walking out of that sanctuary. I knew, at the least, I would be standing double shifts of Gate until I died. I knew that there was a very real chance the Guards wouldn't take me back if I publicly defied the Council. There was a real chance I would be drummed out of the Order. I did stay in that sanctuary and I hope it wasn't for selfish reasons. It helped that no one else walked out. If one had, I'm sure I would have followed.

Training commenced. It was far more intense than anything I had experienced before in the Order. There was a very real sense we were going in harm's way and needed to be prepared. I was still very disgruntled. I expected at any moment there might be a major eruption of disobedience to the idea of serving with clones. Then there was the Melchor incident.

The Battle of Geonosis was bad. Melchor was so much worse. I had known Fion. I really didn't like the idea of clones, but we needed to respond now, and clones were what we had. I became far more committed than I had been before. I was no longer waiting for an eruption.

As we continued with our training, I was pleased to see that my fellow guards were frequently among the best in the sparring, even though we had given up our double sabers for this detached duty. Then the day came that I would be sparring with Master Windu directly.

I had always dreamed of sparring with Master Windu. There was no clear line that showed who was the best saber in the Order. It would have been cool if there was a list, like they have in some athletic clubs, which ranked best to worst, at least for a top ten. That was definitely not a Jedi way of thinking. Many felt that Master Windu was the best and even those that didn't thought he would be near the top.

I was not expecting to win. He was a Master and clearly one of the best. I was hoping that I could give a decent accounting of myself and hold my own. Certainly, I hoped to learn something. Well, I learned something.

As we first crossed sabers, he just quickly reached in through my guard and gave me a touch. It was the sort of thing one might do to a youngling trainee.

"Get a grip on your nerves, Jors, that was just luck." I said to myself.

Then we crossed sabers again and he did it again and it got worse from there. The sparring match became one of the longest and most painful humiliations of my life. I spent a lot of time flopped on the mat having been knocked down. I never got close to him. He seemed to touch me at will. As I was apparently boring him, half way through the session, he had himself blindfolded. It didn't slow him down, if anything, it just seemed to get worse.

When the evening's sparring was done, I could not remember a time when I was more exhausted, more bruised, more sore and worst, more humiliated in my whole life. I looked up because I had been flopped on my back one last time from a particularly painful height as the sparring ended. Master Windu was removing his blindfold and offering me a hand up. If I had any dignity left, I would not have taken it. I took it.

Master Windu than looked at me and said, "Walk with me."

Master Windu then took me on a particularly uncomfortable walk through one of the private gardens before he began to speak, "Do you know why I was able to beat you that way?"

"You are clearly vastly more skilled, Master?" I answered tentatively.

"Not really." He answered and continued, "I had the same problem as you when I was your age."

"You did?" I replied shocked.

Master Windu thought for a moment and began to speak, "Yes I did. There are probably a half-a-dozen non-Jedi Masters of the Sword here on Coruscant who would be at least as good as you. Chances are any decent youngling and certainly any Padawan could handle them easily. Your problem is that you are too naturally gifted. For most younglings, as we teach them the saber, they, facing stress, just naturally reach for the Force to help themselves. You're so good, as I was so good, that we didn't. You need to learn to reach for the Force when you draw your saber, or you'll just be another one of those non-Jedi Masters of the Sword. You were good enough when using the saber was only an academic and artistic subject, now it's about surviving and winning this war."

For the rest of training I came early and left late each day. I focused on learning to draw the Force into my saber technique. I took some drubbings from other Jedi who were clearly my inferiors as I focused on technique rather than winning. In turn, my abilities blossomed in a way that they had not since I was a youngling. As one advances in any physical discipline, the advances normally become smaller and smaller as one pursues ever smaller edges in that quest for improvement. This was a big advance. It was a major breakthrough. As I learned to use the Force, and more difficult, let the Force guide me, I became so much more.

As the will of the Force would have it, the last sparring of the training I faced Master Windu again. He was still better, but this time I did give a good accounting of myself and I did hold my own.

The day after training was spent giving out assignments as the Jedi War Council and the Republic High Command decided where they needed us most and assignments were handed out. I pulled together my things, so I would be prepared to depart. I picked up some arm and leg armor and made sure I was ready to go.

In the afternoon Master Mundi came to me and informed me, "You will be assigned to the 298th Battalion on Pruk. They are already engaged and need leadership."

I had already thought about this and when I meditated on it with the Force, I felt it was the right course, so I replied, "I must decline this appointment. The unit I will be assigned to must not currently be engaged in combat and must have at least thirty standard solar days before deployment."

"This is highly unusual. You are defying the wisdom of far more senior Jedi with your willful refusal. Please reconsider." Master Mundi replied.

"I have meditated on this at some length and feel I am following the Path of the Force and obeying the Code. I will go and do my duty, but I must ask for this forbearance." I replied with far more eloquence than I would have if Mistress Romana had not beat it into me.

Shaking his head in disapproval, Master Mundi said, "I will go see what I can do."

Apparently, desperate need for Jedi in combat overrode the finest points of discipline, though I didn't get my appointment until the next day. Master Mundi came to me as I wanted patiently on the main concourse near the deliberations, "You will be assigned to the 409th battalion, currently on Carpen. They are going through training having just been delivered from Kamino and should be in training for at least 30 more standard solar days."

"This is wholly acceptable to me, I shall depart immediately." I replied and quickly made my way to the Temple hangar to turn word to deed.

I don't think Master Mundi thought I heard him when he said, "Speed of Force be with you, willful young one, and come home safe."

Thirty-two hours later found me on Carpen.

The part of Carpen I saw was a dusty, hilly place. The ground made of dirt and rock. Stringy twisted trees seemed to grow here and there and perhaps more thickly higher on hills. I had never been in such an undeveloped place. I needed a moment to cope. Without a ceiling and close walls, I was irrationally afraid I might fall into the sky. A few deep breaths, some quick centering with the Force and I was okay.

As I looked up from my quick meditation, I saw a clone trooper, a captain by his markings, was walking toward me. I was greeted by the clone commander with a stiff salute and, "I am Captain BY-32784. Welcome to Carpen. We had not expected to have a Jedi assigned so soon, so we are very happy to have you."

I did my best to return his salute and said, "Take me to the men."

"Do you wish to address the men right away?" Captain BY asked.

"No, I'd like to see them in training a bit before I say anything." I replied.

"Very good Sir, if you'll follow me?" Captain BY accepted.

I followed and was taken to a camp headquarters. The battalion was out on maneuvers. I had four companies of infantry and one of mixed tanks and artillery. I went out to see them in action.

I spent two days walking about, watching different companies and men try to maneuver. Early on the first day, a bit curious since I had never seen a blaster actually fired, I asked one trooper, picking out a large clod of dirt the size of two men, roughly thirty meters away, "Shoot that dirt clod."

I noticed the troopers were armed with DC-6, breech loading rifles, already an upgrade from the DC-1 muzzle loaders the first clone troops had been equipped with which were basically what the Separatist Droid Troopers were still carrying.

The trooper took a knee, pulled his large, heavy pack from his back, and then opened the main flap requiring several snaps, zippers and straps. It took the trooper a long time to pull a cartridge from deep in his pack. Then he carefully set the cartridge to the side and re-closed all of the flaps connections. Then he carefully re-slung his pack. The trooper then slowly broke open his rifle, a DC-6, and carefully, couldn't let anything happen to that cartridge, loaded his rifle. Then he closed the rifle and double checked that it was fully closed. Then he lifted the rifle to his hip, took very careful aim and, finally, fired. He missed. A bit disappointed, I still clapped the trooper on the shoulder said, "Keep trying." and moved on.

Author's Note: Yes, these weapons don't conform to what you have seen in the movies, TV episodes and read about in Wookiepedia. I am correcting the continuity error of more advanced weapons in earlier time frames as I referenced in my opening note. Breech loading rifles like I am positing here were never used in large military deployment here on Earth, but I felt weapons should be more primitive than the bolt actions that saw use in World War I. Breech loading, single shot rifles are more advanced than what were used in the US Civil War, but less sophisticated than what were used in WW I firearms. They felt like a good compromise and reflect what would likely have been more rapid advancement in weapons technology the galaxy would have had due to already having a more substantial technological base than Earth did at the same time.

Breech loading firearms are still in production here on Earth today and represent a cheap, simple, reliable, low tech way to shoot a cartridge. In the end, this is a creative decision on my part and will be judged by the entertainment value it provides you, my readers.

As I continued my review, something else I was struck by was that I also saw a consistent need for troopers to have every small detail planned out for them. A command would come down like, 'entrench,' the troopers would need their corporals to show them exactly where, the corporals would ask their sergeants back up and down over and over before a hole would get dug.

I also asked other randomly picked troopers for about twenty more shots through the next two days, they all involved long complex procedures. The only one that hit was aiming at something ten meters away, the target was way more than man size and he definitely didn't hit the center.

That second night, I had a conversation with Captain BY about the men.

"What's going on? It seems like the men can't take the least amount of initiative for themselves? Why is that?" I asked.

The Captain took a bite of rations, perhaps to give himself a moment to judge his answer and then said, "On Kamino, the men are trained, but it's in the same set of simulated environments over and over. The men learn every rivet and bump of those environments and exactly where they should move and grab. This learning is motivated by a system of merits and demerits. They're terrified of missing a merit, much less getting a demerit."

I could imagine very clearly what sort of training the Captain was talking about. Kamino had to produce troops, but for a price. Too many training environments or environments that were too variable would have costs. To a casual inspector, the training would look rigorous, but it was more performance art than real skills. Not unlike saber skills frequently were in the Temple.

"What about accuracy? Why is that so poor?" I asked.

"The men have only shot ten rounds each, at most, in their lives. Each shot in a carefully controlled shooting range. Each shot is expensive. I'd like to do some more marksmanship training, but we've had a directive saying ammunition supplies are short and we should curtail all unnecessary training." The Captain answered.

More training for show I could see.

"We need to fix this before we go into combat or we're going to get slaughtered." I said.

"Yes Sir." the good Captain replied.

That night we went into a comm office, did some looking around and noticed a large ammo shipment. We had that shipment re-directed to us with a false report of pirates.

The next day the ship landed. I had all the ammo unloaded. I was gratified to see that the shipment included tank and artillery loads as well. The private shipper was happy as a clam to have me sign for the load, so he could go get another in half the time and up his profit levels. Money and war.

I was now ready to speak so I had the good Captain round up the men and assemble them for a speech.

I looked out at my roughly five hundred men, while standing on some large crates of ammo, I began to address them,

"You are no longer on Kamino. Training is no longer about merits and demerits. It is about life and death. I expect each one of you to take the initiative. If you get the order to entrench, entrench. If you get the order to advance, advance. If you make a mistake, you will NOT get a demerit. Training is now all about making mistakes. Make a mistake but learn from it. You make a mistake here, and that's just training. You make a mistake in a real fight, you die! You take some of your brothers with you! If you take too much initiative, we'll help you with that too, either with a correction or a promotion." That brought some giggles then I continued,

"Every man will learn their superior's job and every superior will teach the man below their job. That way no one will have to ask how to do simple things. We will be going into combat. Anyone can die including me. Each one of you will know who is in charge in what order so the unit keeps going.

"We also need to learn to shoot, so I have I acquired," and here I stomped the crate I was standing on, "some additional supplies. We will train. You must be faster and more accurate. You will be carrying no less than one hundred rounds each in your packs. The battle won't stop after ten shots." I had learned the night before that standard ammo load out was only ten rounds per soldier.

With that speech, real training commenced. It took some time for the troopers to realize they weren't getting a demerit if they dug a fox hole in the wrong spot. They began to learn to think for themselves.

We also learned a lot of crap they learned in training was not very good. Once again, when they dug a foxhole, it was shallow, the sides caved in.

I made sure they learned to dig deep. Use dirt, wood, rock and any metal plate they could find to reinforce it.

"What if it rains? You'll be lying in a puddle. Dig deep!" I yelled over and over.

We learned to shoot. Since I didn't want to ask anything of them I wouldn't give, I learned to shoot with them. Yes, the Jedi's weapon is the saber, but I was just learning to make a point.

To learn to shoot, the first thing we had to do is learn how. There were a lot of opinions by different, so called, experts. One popular school of thought was to hold the rifle at hip level in front of one's body. Then the rifle would act as an extra piece of armor. The problem was when you shot that way it seemed more like chance if you hit the target. The so-called experts actually addressed that issue and thought it was okay because with large numbers of troops, they would fill an area with fire.

More research was called for.

Up to this point in galactic history, the most common individual ranged weapon for combat had been a bow and arrow. During my training, as we reviewed various pre-blaster weapons we might run into, I had noticed something that was used by some cultures, Mandalore in particular, that seemed similar to a rifle, it was called a "crossbow." Essentially a bow attached to a frame. The cross bow had a stock and trigger very similar to a blaster rifle. The Mandalorians had achieved great accuracy, but they had held the crossbow to their shoulders. We copied the Mandalorian technique and suddenly marksmanship dramatically improved.

With the new technique, each trooper fired a hundred rounds a day. We learned to hit targets one hundred plus meters away. We learned to reload fast. We learned to hit targets under pressure.

Many men started fashioning bandoliers and ammo pouches for themselves to facilitate fast loading. It was the first opportunity the men had ever had to start individualizing themselves.

I started wearing a double pistol belt and carrying a rifle. I sewed on cartridge holders to the belt. I figured it didn't hurt anything. It was a good belt, my saber hung from it well.

We were coming to the end of our training. The men were salty and felt ready to go so I addressed them one more time.

"There are those in the galaxy that say you aren't real living beings. That you are not entitled to the same rights and dignities as other sentient beings. I don't believe that. The best way to correct this misperception is to win this war. When this war is won, you will have proven yourselves men, not machines. You will have earned the back pay, benefits and rights you deserve. Maybe you shouldn't have to, but there are a lot of shouldn'ts in the galaxy, that's what armies are for.

"To show you I don't believe, I will live the same life as you. If you sleep on the ground, I sleep on the ground. If you eat rations, I eat rations. If you march, I march. I will ask nothing more of any of you than I will give myself, but I also will ask nothing less. Everyone fights. Nobody quits!"

I wasn't supposed to address these issues, but I felt it was necessary. I felt they were better addressed than festering in a convenient politically correct dark. When I was done speaking, the men cheered. I was embarrassed how much of my speech I had borrowed from the Classics, how much of my delivery had been based on what I had learned in the performances I'd given.

Then we were deployed to Kennel. Kennel reminded me a lot of Carpen. The trees were different, but similar. Perhaps the terrain a bit rockier.

The 409th was the last to the planet. There were three other Jedi led battalions already on planet in the field. So, garrison of the main base/landing field fell to us. I figured the other three battalions would be more experienced so that was fine.

The first thing I noticed was our base had been set down in the middle of a wide-open flatland. Easiest spot for the fleet boys to set up, nice and flat for easy take offs and landings. Also, the best terrain for the Separatists.

I did a survey of the area by air and found a nice spot surrounded by rugged hills a few miles away.

We then went back, and I informed the non-clone Republic Navy Lieutenant Konstantine we were moving.

"That will waste a great deal of time and energy." He replied testily.

"Yes, but were still doing it." I replied calmly.

"It will also take forever!" He whined.

"Then we'd best get started right away as we don't have forever." I replied.

"I don't think we should do this." He whined further.

"Why are we not already moving?" I asked, some impatience finally finding it's way into my voice.

As the Jedi on scene I knew I had the rank to make this stick. We moved.

I had picked the place I had because it was surrounded by steep hills. The Separatists had chosen hover tanks. Those Separatist tanks could move much faster than the Republic's six legged tanks but sucked up a lot more juice and couldn't handle terrain that wasn't flat. The Separatist infantry, composed of droids with small metal feet, wouldn't do well in steep, slippery, rocky terrain either.

That meant there was only one good path into the base for them now. My men started digging. There would be four lines of infantry backed by tanks and artillery. It was probably a waste of time. Just good training really. Certainly, the three other battalions would rout the Separatists.

As we completed the revetments for the tanks, I got word.

Our three battalions had been routed. The 409th would provide rear guard so the other units could evacuate in an orderly manner.

"We're ready, come on back." I said when the orders came.

The other Jedis in the holoconference were very confused by my response, like they thought I was crazy, but happy.

The clone units started drabbling in. They could climb over hills. They would keep dribbling in all through the day and into the night. I made sure that the Navy Lieutenant had hot meals and plenty of it for all of them all night long.

The Separatists marched up the draw as I had expected at first light. I stood next to the first line of my men with my saber drawn and held high. I waited. 120 meters. I waited. 90 meters. I waited. 60 meters. I waited. 30 meters. My saber went down, and the first line of my men fired. Their hundred rifles took a terrible toll on the droid troopers. I jumped back to the second line while the first line started reloading fast. As the droids were able to continue their forward march, my saber swung again, and the second line's volley exploded in the draw and the droids took another beating. Then another saber swing and the third line fired. A last saber swing and the fourth line's carefully aimed shots slammed into the advancing droids.

Then I yelled, "Fire at will!" and the command was echoed by other officers. The first line's rifles went off again in a group. Other shots followed quickly, rapidly becoming a steady din.

The Separatist battle droids looked like leaves in a stiff breeze. Then, responding to some unheard order, they began to withdraw. I didn't know it at the time, but that was the first time we had made the Separatists back down on Kennel.

Of course, they only backed down because that allowed their tanks to come up, but I had an answer for that as well.

My tanks and artillery had been getting marksmanship practice too. The tanks were scattered on hillsides in revetments and the artillery sat behind the lines. They had not yet fired any of their precious shells. Each tank and artillery piece had been assigned a slice of the draw depending on their location. They each had to also keep in contact with whoever had the slice on either side.

I waited until the second before I thought the Separatists would begin to fire and yelled "Fire, Fire, Fire!" into my comm link on the tank and artillery channel.

My tanks and artillery fired and took a terrible toll on the Separatist war machines. Firing stopped when there weren't any more moving enemy tanks in the draw.

I estimated we had destroyed the equivalent of a battalion of Separatist droids and a company's worth of tanks. They now filled the draw with their broken bodies and burning carcasses.

The Separatists tried to mount another attack with heavy B2 battle droids, but their top-heavy bodies and little metal feet did very poorly in the now very broken terrain. My boys in first company kept blasting them as they almost comically tried to crawl and climb over the burning wreckage. Eventually they gave up. I had ammunition run forward. I swapped fourth company to the front line and moved first to the rear. I had a hot lunch and dinner sent in, but it was quiet for the rest of the day.

That night the Separatists worked to clear the draw under the cover of darkness. Fourth company, which was full of my best sharpshooters, and had night vision, made them pay all night. Every so often, a tank shell would destroy one of their large reclamation vehicles.

I had another holo conference with my fellow Jedi.

"What is the status of your battalion, how quickly will you need to evacuate?" They asked.

"We're good, should be able to hold for at least another couple days." I answered.

One of them asked confused, "Have you been in action today?"

"Yes. But the base is still secure." I answered.

"What are your casualties?" He asked, still clearly confused.

"A few men took minor hits from shrapnel, but they've received first aid and are still in the field." I replied.

"That's it? What size force did you face today?" He asked.

"I'd estimate two to three battalions of infantry and one company of armor." I answered.

"And all you took were a few minor shrapnel wounds." He repeated.

"Yes." I replied.

"If the enemy closes tomorrow, can you still hold?" He asked.

"Well those units are destroyed, but if the enemy brings up more, we'll give them a good fight." I replied nonchalantly.

The most senior of the other Jedi, and the nominal commanding officer, Bors Siloweez looked thoughtful, "So you think you can hold for another day?"

"Certainly sir." I answered.

"That creates some new options." He replied.

The next day the Separatists had managed to clear the draw at great expense with their efforts through the night. They started with heavy B2 battle droids and we responded in kind. The heavy B2 battle droids did no better than their standard brethren under our volleys of aimed fire. Though I'm sure they cost the Separatists more.

They went to tanks again and suffered again.

Just as I was getting cocky and smug, Captain BY ran by me yelling "Sir, behind you!"

The Separatists had managed to march a battalion of Standard Battle Droids through the hills on our right flank where I had been standing. I was about to be drilled from behind by one of them when the Captain ran past me and stabbed it with a bayonet.

I screamed, "Third Company Right!" 

The Third Company fixed bayonets and jumped out of their foxholes. Then charged into the Battle Droids.

As they did, I waded in with my saber and the Force trying to clear paths and rapidly destroy as many as possible. We started taking casualties.

I know in the background First Company was moving up into Third's foxholes.

I yelled into my comlink, "Armor on the right flank, we have bad guys around here. Watch yourselves. If you see any good shots, take 'em."

Of course, distracted as we now were, they poured in mixed armor and heavy B2 battle droids. Most of my men had been fighting for thirty-six standard hours straight and hadn't eaten in six or seven.

I kept giving orders, "Captain, get back and command the main defense, I'll take the hills. Watch out for encroachment on the left.

I had lost track of the Captain in the fighting, but at one point actually saw the Captain running back and about to be shot. I fast drew my pistol with my left hand and shot the droid, catching it just as it fired so that it's blast flew up harmlessly into the air as it collapsed. A Jedi using a blaster in combat, imagine that.

We destroyed or drove the droids back out of the hills. I left a couple of platoons to watch our flank and they promptly started entrenching.

I had just finished leading the remaining three platoons back to the draw when I spotted battle droids cresting the far hills on the other side.

I had the platoons from Third company jump back into their old line and spread out to fill in for the missing platoons.

I yelled for First to follow me into the hills on the left. They already had bayonets affixed so they started firing and running immediately. I led them up into the hills. It was nasty bitter fighting inst and amongst the rocks and we took more casualties. But a company of my troopers routed a battalion of the droids back out of the hills again.

When I got back with two platoons I could see the enemy droids were almost at my first line and we were taking casualties. I had one trick left.

"Artillery clear the draw."

We didn't have a huge number of artillery shells and I wanted to save them for enemy tanks and other high value targets, but we needed the help.

The artillery started smashing down into the draw destroying huge swaths of battle droids.

Just as the artillery ran dry, enemy tanks backed by heavy B2 battle droids started coming up the draw and I got messages from the platoons I had left on the flanks that they were under attack. My tanks started firing but they were low on ammo too. My men were low on ammo, hungry and had been fighting for almost two days straight and were strung out. Give it to the droids, they didn't need sleep and could keep up this pace of operations indefinitely.

Just as it seemed that we might be overrun, one could hear large explosions thundering down the draw and the battle droids either collapsed or seemed to become confused.

The other Jedi had used the time I had bought them to reorganize their three shattered battalions into two essentially intact battalions. While I had the full attention of the Sepies, they marched the battalions up, one on either side and attacked the droid army from the rear catching them completely by surprise and destroying their command and control facilities and their supply train quickly. The remaining still active droids didn't do well. We had a mobile slagger, basically a big box for melting metal on treads and ran it down the draw where it collected up all the droids and their weapons and slagged them, leaving a long, heavy stream of molten metal. Maybe someday they would use it to make us a memorial? I won't hold my breath.

So, what did we win on Kennel? It's hard to say. Mine was not to reason why, mine was but to do or die. Kennel was better to have than not have. It was a minor intersection of hyperspace lanes and had some resources of modest strategic value. Was it really worth four Jedis, four battalions of clones and a Republic Fleet task force? Not for me to say.

Sometimes, something is a stepping stone to the next objective. Maybe we needed Kennel to get to somewhere else, so we could get to something else?

One thing I do know was that there was a consensus developing among the armchair military experts of the galaxy that the Republic was at a disadvantage in this war because if the Separatists could draw Republic forces into a war of attrition, their shorter supply lines and their cheaper, faster to produce battle droids would grind us down. The only hope for the Republic would be if we could use the advantage of our supposedly smarter, better clones, it would allow the Republic to impose a war of maneuver that we could win. With a string of early losses like Plynth, it looked like the Separatists could impose the war of attrition. As such, the Republic was doomed to either have to concede or, perhaps eventually, be overrun.

Winning on Kennel snapped that momentum back around with the talking heads and armchair generals saying the Republic could win this war.

The 409th got moved back to a staging base on a rear world. I started with some R&R. I tried to get my boys the best food and drink I could. I was always cadging Credits to be able to buy more stuff for them. I did get them green paint, so we could make our armor more distinctive. We got repple depple in to fill out our depleted ranks and we started training. We needed to teach the new guys how we did things in the 409th.

With the repple depple, I did something that was already unusual. Normally replacements came in squads of five. Most units were just snapping in the squads whole, which is what the new guys wanted because they had grown up together. I would break up the squads and add them to squads that had been depleted. If I didn't have enough depleted squads, I'd break one of my existing squads and fuse them in. I found it bound the battalion together. It created informal lines of communication. Maybe you were a trooper in Company Three and you might not care about Company One, except three clones you grew up with and who were as close to family as you would ever have had been placed in Company One. Now you would die for Company One.

After we had worked training for a bit, I pulled the men together for another speech, "Everyone said that you clones could not win a fight. You just proved them wrong!"

I paused for a moment, so they could cheer. I made sure I was giving this speech on a night they had gotten a particularly good meal and I had figured out a way to get an ale for every man in the battalion and, more importantly, served by pretty barmaids.

"Captain come up here!" I yelled.

The Captain came up.

"They gave you all numbers! Men don't have numbers. Men have names! The Captain here saved my life in this battle and proved he was a man. He needs a name. Captain, henceforth, you will be known as Captain Bayonet!"

There was a lot of cheering and stamping of feet.

I continued. "Further, I designate you a name giver. If you find any man in this unit, I charge you to give him a name. If you find any man of true worth, you can give him this honor that he is a name giver too."

There was even more cheering.

After a month we shipped out again. We'd fight on Tirol, Spiridon and Karbarra. Each time we would exceed expectations. Each time we would drag back victories from certain defeat. The way we did things started to spread. Just after he had been assigned to the 501st, a young Padawan named Anakin Skywalker came and spent a few days learning how we did things. The ARC Trooper program was essentially based on the 409th. Teach the clones to be more independent. Give them better gear and more training and bang, ARC Trooper.

She was real fine my 409.

The next battle was Exxelon.

Exxelon was described as the Confederacy's Corellia. Sure, it wasn't the only place they built ships and droids, but it was their biggest. It was at the center of their infrastructure. Over 98% of Vulture Space Fighter droids were manufactured there.

It was not expected that the Republic Fleet would be able to gain control of the space around the planet. When we arrived, there was a savage space battle in progress. The Confederates were throwing everything they had into it. The Republic fleet was supposed to have made a faint toward Raxus, which presumably had pinned down a big chunk of Separatist fleet. Still the Separatist fleet had a huge force present and they were slugging it out with the Republic Fleet for all they were worth.

Captain Bayonet and I were called to a large briefing on the Ground Invasion Flag Ship, Shemu-El. We got there, and I was surprised to find it was being held by Master Mace Windu. Captain Bayonet and I quickly found seats as Master Windu began,

"The Separatists have a major advantage, there are massive shore batteries on the planet's surface. These batteries gave the Separatists zones around Exxelon space where they hold a distinct advantage and make any landing nearly impossible.

The key will be to take out these batteries. Unfortunately, if Republic Fleet ships try to do it, between the Separatist fleet and the batteries, the Republic Fleet ships will be chewed to ribbons in moments, taking massively expensive assets and huge highly trained crews with them. The best way to eliminate these shore batteries will be to mount a landing assault. The very first assault will be on the largest and best defended shore battery they have, Reflex Point."

My mouth, moving faster than my brain, spit out, "Would not like to be the one they pick for that job."

"That's good, because you're it." Master Windu answered.

Great.

We would be the very tip of the spear. Despite the dangers to the ships involved they were making a massive assault on the batteries. In addition, a huge number of fighter bombers had been assembled and tasked to flood their defenses, softening it up for our landing.

Our landing ships followed down behind the fighters. We were expected to suffer 70% casualties before landing. There was no way to know which landing ships would be blasted from space and which would get through, so I was taking the same risk as my men.

As our ships left the cruiser, I put my hand on the bulkhead and reached out with the Force, willing the Force to help my ships find their way through the fire. Maybe it worked. Maybe it didn't. Maybe the Force helped us. Maybe it was the massive efforts of a task force of the Republic Fleet trying to keep the batteries occupied that cost thousands of lives and many ships. Maybe it was the huge swarm of fighter/bombers they threw at the thing trying to distract it and soften them up. Maybe it only helped keep me calm. But we were down. No way to figure out how many made it because the fight was upon us.

We had recently upgraded weapons. The single shot DC-6 rifles we had started the war with had been replaced by DC-15S's which had seven shots before they needed to be reloaded. Pistol troops like Captain Bayonet had gotten the new DC-17 pistols which could fire up to four times each, meaning with the standard two pistol rig, he had eight shots before he would have to reload. I was carrying the new DC-17m pistol which basically functioned like the DC-17, but in theory had all sorts of attachments, including a rifle attachment. This meant I could avoid carrying a rifle, as I had been up to now, with the claim this pistol could become a rifle. I'd used my pistol a handful of times, but the rifle never, it had just been there to make my men feel I shared their burdens. I was a decent shot with either rifle or pistol, as one might expect since I'd been training with my men since the beginning of the war. I wasn't the best. Captain Bayo, as I frequently called him when the men weren't around, was faster and better with the pistol. I had some real marksmen with the rifle floating around the battalion as well, generally all guys who had been with me since the beginning as they had the most training and experience.

Authors Note: Yes, the statistics quoted here, once again, do not reflect the capabilities of these weapons as per Wookiepedia. Some weapons I'm making up and some I'm radically changing to bring them into continuity with the original trilogy. I am giving the weapons now a capability on par with World War II weapons, reflecting the rapid advances that are made in war. Please see my Author's Note at the beginning of the story for further explanation.

Our transports hit the ground hard. We expected that. None of the transports were expected to survive, so rather than come in slow and gentle, giving the Seppies that much more opportunity to blast us from the sky, they hit hard as it was accepted they would be sacrificed to become permanent features of the landscape.

We all rushed out of our landers and formed up with whoever was close by and started assaulting Reflex Point. We were up against overwhelming enemy numbers immediately. I'd like to say I had some special plan, some trick, some faint. I didn't. My troops all quickly emptied their magazines and we stormed forward against overwhelming numbers. If I did have any special plan it was that we had been drilling hard with fixed bayonets for weeks since we expected some ugly hand to hand. If we had any advantage it was that the droids just didn't expect this. Clones did not charge into hand to hand against overwhelming numbers. We backed up, maneuvered for advantage and re-engaged. There was no re-engaging today, with a yell from me, "Speed of Force!" that was rapidly picked up by the men, we were going straight into their teeth!

If my unit was the very tip of the spear, I was the point and my light saber the very edge. I carved through droids by the dozen while, behind me, men stabbed for all they were worth with their bayonets. If they got a second, they would reload, and another seven shots would quickly ring out followed by the distinctive ping of the magazine ejecting itself from the rifle.

If we had given them even a few seconds to think or reinforce, we would never have made it, but we were through the shield and the massive wall of the Reflex Point shore battery was before us.

"Rockets!" I screamed and the first of two rockets every man was equipped with today, a wall breacher, began to fire and there was a solid minute of hideously crazy noise and light as rockets slammed home against the wall at point blank range.

Then picking myself up, not even taking time to dust off, I yelled, "Into the breach!"

My men surged with me into the breach entering a massive area comprising many square kilometers of internal space, filled with batteries of cannon, ammo and droids who were quickly turning to engage us.

"Second Rockets!" I screamed again, and a second salvo of rockets designed for anti-equipment/incendiary surged in and filled the space.

We all threw ourselves to the ground a second time as the rockets found cannon, fuel, droids and piles of proton charges and it all went up.

Luckily, most of the explosion went up, not out and the massive armorcrete dome caved in on itself like a giant soufflé gone bad. Otherwise we would have all been dead.

With the destruction of Reflex Point, everything changed.

Suddenly the Separatist fleet that had been hiding under the aegis of Reflex Point's shore batteries in low planetary orbit and enjoying a massive tactical advantage over the Republic Fleet Task Force trying to get us down, were now without shore battery support and at a huge positional disadvantage being in a low orbit. The overwhelming droid force around us either collapsed or seemed confused as a huge amount of their command and control had been in that building.

On the 409th-only comm channel I announced, "I want the younger half digging and the older half shooting. Share ammo."

We were still shooting, and I wanted to take this moment to scrap as many clankers as possible before enemy command and control could be re-asserted, so I was cutting my way through as many droids as fast as I could.

However, Republic command was fast to follow up on our success. Other battalions started using the hole in Exxelon's defenses to land and we quickly had overwhelming force in the area and it was a matter of mop up and slaggers.

We quickly rounded up everyone left from the 409th. A number of squads had been pinned down and not able to join the assault. Considering our casualties, I had been shot in the leg and not even noticed till later, we were lifted out and sent back to a staging area for a month of rebuild.

As we totaled the numbers, I discovered just over 70% of our landers made it. Maybe the Force did help us? Of those who got to the ground we had suffered 50% casualties. That meant only about one in three made it back and many of those who survived had only one battle under their belt. A lot of names died on Exxelon.

I needed to be strong for my men, but I can't deny that inside, I was very sad. I tried to comfort myself that we had done our duty and made a huge contribution. Still, I had known a lot of those names. I had talked with them about their hopes, how after the war they wanted to go to school, start businesses, meet girls. Now they were gone.

I was happy to see that as I was getting treated in the med facility, Captain Bayo was there as well.

"Several pieces of my armor were broken or ruined, and I have a number of minor injuries, but I'll be back to duty soon sir." He informed me.

I reviewed his medical chart, as was my prerogative. Bayo had extensive burns on 20% of his body and had been staying on his feet despite having a broken femur, among other injuries. The pain must have been crazy, but he had kept fighting till evac.

They sent us a bunch of new shinies and broken pieces. They were good kids, and we did our best to spread out the remaining guys, but it felt like we were starting from zero again. Experienced guys were spread thin. Guys with a few battles that were really ready now to be Sergeants and Corporals were even thinner.

Well, until Coruscant called for them and the Corellias, Spires and Alderaans of the galaxy offered them, these were the troops we had. Corellia had gone as far as to announce, if they were asked, they would provide ships and men. On the other hand, Alderaan, in particular, kept announcing how they had no ships and no men to offer because they were ever so socially advanced and pacifist and ready to let someone else do the dying for them. Very convenient for Alderaan to be so pacifist and not have to spend any of their own money directly.

I sent word up we would need extra time for training as we had a lot of injuries and the new men were particularly raw. I was generously given three more weeks. Captain Bayo and I did the best we could once we got out of medical and we got the men as prepared as possible.

We would end up fighting on Aridius, Praxxis and our final battle, on Vulcan. We did well, but we really never regained that swagger we had before Exxelon. Some things just can't be rebuilt easily.

Then one day as I was sitting at a table in a pavilion tent on Vulcan getting some supply requisitions organized. I was lucky I was seated, because there was a sudden shrieking in my ears. It was an intense pain. An intense feeling that something was very wrong everywhere. I was a bit out of it when Captain Bayo came into the tent a few moments later and must have shook me awake.

"Sir, haven't you heard. They just issued General Order 66. Apparently, the Jedi staged some sort of failed coup against the Chancellor." Captain Bayo said breathlessly.

I knew exactly what General Order 66 was and was also intensely aware that Bayo's hand, capable of drawing and firing faster than lightning, was a few centimeters from his pistol while I was sitting on my lightsaber.

Bayo cut my moment of foolish tension by saying, "We need to get you in this armor and get you out of here Sir. Some of the newer men, they may actually be willing to obey that order. They don't know you."

Bayo quickly helped me into the armor and I rapidly became another anonymous clone trooper. I had a large case for the DC-17m pistol in which I had a full collection of attachments I didn't really intend to ever use. However, it was large enough, along with a standard pack, to also hold a handful of personal items as well as a big sack of credits I had recently cadged to buy stuff for the men. The Captain and I ducked out the back and we were walking away as casually as possible. When we had gotten not quite a hundred meters away, I saw over my shoulder several squads of my 409th boys storming the tent I'd been in.

Captain Bayo put me in civilian transport. It was a common thing during the war to see a clone trooper or other member of the Republic military traveling alone on civilian transport. Civilian transport was required by law to give priority to military personnel, meaning I could fly anywhere in Republic space for free and they would bump other civilian passengers if necessary. It was also appropriate for a clone trooper to keep his helmet on at all times in public, as one wouldn't want to make the civilians uncomfortable with living evidence of the war crime they were complicit in, having to look at a clone's face like he was a living being with dignity or anything.

Before I got on the transport, I gave Bayo my commlink, "I'll call you in a bit when I think the coast is clear. If you're in bad place to receive contact from me, use the words, 'red ink.' If it's safe for us to talk, use the words, 'blue ink.' Also, I'm grateful that you've saved my life once again and it has been an honor to serve with you."

With that, Bayo saluted smartly and said, "Speed of Force General."

I gave him my best salute back and said, "Speed of Force Captain."

Then we hugged, and I got on the transport.

I flew by indirect means and several connections to the edge of Hutt space. On the previous station, I had bought a set of non-descript civilian clothing. I picked some tough black pants, an olive drab pull over and a simple brown leather vest with some useful looking pockets. I also got a black leather hat with a wide brim that looked like it would keep the rain off, help me look non-descript and avoid face recognition cameras.

On the last station, on the edge of Hutt space, I found a quiet bathroom. I pulled off most of the armor, keeping the forearm/glove pieces and the calf/foot pieces. I'd been using Phase 1 clone armor pieces in those areas for some time and figured they might still be useful. I also kept the helmet, it was full of good stuff too, but put it in my pack. I put on the civilian clothes. It wasn't crazy unusual to see someone wearing some armor pieces, particularly if they had a sidearm which implied they made their living in certain ways.

I bought a ticket into Hutt space, picking the place by which had the cheapest ticket, and thought, "Dandoran, here I come."

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	8. Chapter 8

**Legend of the Harp**

 **Episode I: Birth of a Jedi**

 **Chapter 8: Sherriff**

***Jedi Knight, Dandoran, Doran City***

The transport put me down at what passed for a space port in Doran City, the largest settlement on Dandoran. They had modestly safe looking lockers, so I locked up my pack and my case and went for a walk.

Around the spaceport, I found it was the typical slimy Hutt-space den of thieves and smugglers. The place had few paved streets, some roads were gravel, some were just hard dirt. When it rained they probably turned to mud. It was a cosmopolitan place in that there were many different species present.

I walked out of the port around the city. Outside the port, the place was mostly working-class people, doing their best to earn a living. One could see the hills around the city. The planet was beautiful. Lots of water. Lots of tree covered hills. As a city rat, this was completely different than what I had grown up with. Still, it looked like the kind of place all the happy holovids had been set.

As I walked, I realized I was hungry. I hadn't eaten in a day and a half. It was then that I discovered that my Republic Credits wouldn't work.

"I'll take one of those," I said to the street merchant selling some sort of small smoked amphibian.

"Five Wupiupi for Gorg, one for bottle of water." Said the street merchant, who was a species I had never met before.

"How much in Republic Credits?" I asked.

"No take Republic Credits. Only Wupiupi." The merchant creature said.

I asked around and got the same answer from several stall holders. They apparently all only used a local currency, the "Wupiupi."

I found a local moneychanger. He was set up in a half finished wooden shed with a cloth awning. He had some very serious looking safes in the back and a heavily armed, very serious looking Trandoshan guard in front.

"The rate of exchange for Republic Credits is ten for each Wupiupi." The moneychanger declared.

"Can I buy ten Republic Credits for one Wupiupi?" I asked, feeling some snark.

"Of course not! What kind of fool are you?" The money trader answered, clearly feeling rankled by my response.

"Thank-you so much. When my cousin on Spano sends me my Credits I will come straight to you, so they can be exchanged properly." I responded bowing obsequiously.

It was particularly galling that I had gotten the bowing obsequiously move from the Classic, "The Merchant of Aldreen."

I was able to quietly excuse myself and move on.

Relying as I had not for many years on my childhood hoodlummage, and a bit on the Force, I was able to find a black-market money changer in a back alley. He must have been quite the daring sort as he was defying the will of the Hutt who ruled this planet. But I got a still terrible two Wupiupis for each Republic Credit.

With a few dozen Wupiupis in my pocket I went back to the street vendor selling smoked gorgs and bought one with a bottle of water. Six Wupiupis later, I was eating. It was salty and not my normal thing, but it filled me up and I kept looking around.

The next thing I was looking for was where the humans congregated. In places like this I knew there wouldn't be imposed uniform districts, not because they were so forward thinking, but because nobody would care enough to impose them. But like tended to settle with like. Maybe a space port bar would be a mix of everything. The neighborhoods where most working-class people lived? There would be neighborhoods with a single species predominating. One of them would be humans.

I found the human district on the North East side of town.

As I walked down the street I asked a random person, "Anywhere around here to get a room?"

The person pointed toward what looked like a store.

The sign as I walked onto the wooden porch said "Haney's."

I walked in to find a place with a bit of everything. There was small general store, a food counter and a bar.

The only man in the place was behind the general store counter. He was a balding, middle aged man, looked like he'd had a hard life.

I walked up to the man and said, "Mr. Haney?"

"Yes." He replied in a way that struck me as matter of fact rather than ingratiating.

"I understand you have a room to rent?" I asked.

"Yes. In the shed out back. Twenty Wupiupis a night." He answered brusquely.

"I'm looking for more of a long-term rental. Would you have a different monthly rate?" I asked politely.

"Twenty Wupiupis a night." He repeated.

"Can I see the room?" I asked.

"Twenty Wupiupis a night." He repeated.

"Now look. If you don't rent rooms by the month, maybe you can direct me to someone who does?" I asked starting to get just a bit peeved.

Just then, a big, mean and apparently drunk guy walked in.

"When I passed out last night, I still had a full bottle of whiskey! Where's my bottle?" He yelled.

I assumed he was a bar patron.

"Emmit, you're drunk. You drank that bottle. Now get out of here until you sober up!" Mr. Haney yelled back.

"I want my bottle!" Emmit yelled back.

I was starting to get a sense of the local conversational style.

"Get out of my place!" Mr. Haney yelled.

Emmit was standing to my left and he chose then to draw his blaster. I saw a tragedy about to unfold. I had many years of unarmed combat training and, with the Force guiding me and giving me strength, it wasn't very difficult to intervene.

With a few swift, economical movements I disarmed Emmit, then dragged him by the scruff of his neck and threw him back out on the dirt street.

I came back in and gave Haney Emmit's pistol, a crude, muzzle loading single shot device. Still it was very lethal at close range and had no stun setting. On other worlds like this one, a pistol like it would bring fifty Credits or so. Then I said, "You can keep that. We were talking about a room."

He looked at me with an appraising glance and said, "If you can hang around the tap room at night and keep the peace, I might be able to see my way clear to letting you stay in that room and furnishing meals."

"I'd want to see the room first." I replied.

The room was a shack behind the store. Apparently, Haney lived in some rooms above the shop. The shack was a simple one room dwelling. There was a bed, a lav, some cooking facilities and a solid, lockable cabinet. Seemed clean and decent.

"Okay I'll take it." I said.

"Welcome to Korpluck Town," He replied.

I spent the evening in the taproom. Three of Emmit's friends decided, after getting liquored up, they should salvage Emmit's honor. One by one they left their similarly crude pistols on the bar and sailed into the street just hard enough to encourage them to sleep it off for the night.

After that, there wasn't much trouble in Haney's place.

Night by night, I'd have dinner, then sit at a rear table with a cup of caf or glass of water. Over the course of the night I'd eat a slice of pie. With word going out that Haney's was a safe place, night by night the crowd grew with mostly decent and responsible people who wanted a bite to eat and to share a bit of conversation and a drink. As business built up, Haney improved his menu and his drinks. He hired a cook and a waitress.

I was out and about one afternoon getting used to my new surroundings. There was a small Korpluck market with people working out of sheds and tents selling a variety of products. As I browsed the things I didn't much want and couldn't afford, I was addressed by another middle-aged man.

"Welcome to Korpluck Market. I'm Dor Uker." Dor introduced himself.

"I'm Dodger," I replied.

"I understand your new to the area and residing at Haney's?" He asked.

"Yes." I replied.

"I understand your arrangement with Haney includes the need to spend nights in his establishment?" Dor asked.

"You understand much." I replied.

"That means your days are your own?" Dor asked.

"They are." I answered.

"We could use someone to walk around the market during the day, doing essentially what you do at Haney's at night. The other merchants and I could try to find a way to make it worth your while." Dor said.

"Sounds interesting, talk." I said.

The marketplace merchants weren't rich, if they were, they'd be store owners. There were a few of them, though, and a peaceful safe marketplace would be worth their while. We came to terms for some patrolling from me for some Wupiupis from them.

After that, it all fell into place fairly quickly. There were eighteen stores and the marketplace in Korpluck Town. The would all pony up some Wupiupis each month except for Haney as I lived in his room. I could pretty much eat wherever I wanted. In return, I had functionally become Sherriff of Korpluck Town.

Korpluck Town was named for the large Oaf bird processing center located at the north edge of town. "Korpluck" was the cutesy, no doubt picked by marketers, name of the large galactic corporation that ran the facility as well as many others on many other systems. Oaf bird was a popular food and source of protein in many civilizations around the galaxy. In addition, Oaf birds could be raised for their eggs, a popular breakfast food and source of protein as well. Normally the egg layers weren't used for meat after they could no longer lay eggs, but their protein could be used in cheap food or animal feed. Korpluck had a huge operation that they ran here because they didn't have to worry about Republic regulations here. Pretty much everybody in Korpluck Town either worked for the plant, contracted for something to the plant or served the people who worked at the plant. In turn, the policy of the plant to market imperfect birds and eggs to people here in the town for next to nothing meant that Oaf meat or eggs often found it's way into two or more of my three meals a day as it did for everyone else who lived here.

It wasn't the worst place to live and I could imagine settling in Korpluck Town permanently. In addition to my home, the merchants of Korpluck had furnished me with a simple cinderblock building that essentially functioned as my office and jail and mostly as my drunk tank. A big piece of my stock in trade was rounding up men who had got a bit too wild when they got drunk and needed to sleep it off.

Not long after I was settled into my new position, I had a 'serious' crime when a group of youths, worked up from watching too much holovid, thought they could have some members of their little group follow me and when I was far enough away, have their accomplices rob the back of Boomer's Liquor.

I spotted the lookouts easily. Imperial Intelligence they were not. I got the lookouts to think I was inside a building and circled back to where I thought the crime would take place. Then took the thieves red handed.

I imposed six months of hard labor on my nascent eight-member gang gravelling the streets. That straightened those boys right out, deterred any more "serious" crime and the streets were much more passable when it rained.

Things were running smoothly until one evening as I was making a pass through the marketplace, I ran into four Zygerrians with some sort of large furred beast. I had found a non-working voder somewhere and had been noodling around with it all day trying to get it work. Why that day of all days? The Force works in mysterious ways. Because just when I got there, the beast snarled and the voder clicked on for the first time and translated, "Leave me alone you monsters."

It was bad enough to have four people tormenting an animal for entertainment. If that animal was a sentient being, it could not be tolerated.

There was a long moment right there. A lot of town's people were there and many of them had heard the voder. They were wondering what kind of Sheriff they had. Some wouldn't want me to do anything. Entertainment was hard to come by someplace like Korpluck Town. Some Marketplace vendors would want this as it brought a crowd and people would buy food, drinks and toys for the kids, maybe even make some household purchases they might normally make elsewhere. Those vendors were my employers.

If that was a sentient creature, I couldn't leave it in that situation. Maybe I wasn't leading galactic crusades to free slaves, but this was my town and they had brought it before me. Maybe those vendors were my employers, but I followed the Code first.

"Take those bonds off this person and get out of town." I ordered the Zygerrians.

They smiled at the idea that they would back down from some back space no place Sherriff.

The leader spoke, "There are four of us and one of you. Walk away little man or you may end up in the same chains."

I responded, "This is your last chance, do it or you will pay the consequences."

They laughed and drew their blasters.

"Put the blasters away!" I ordered.

Maybe I should have been pulling my blaster rather than handing out orders, but I was worried that if they started shooting, it might hit townspeople.

They fired anyway. The beast was in the middle and they were on the other side arrayed in something of a semi-circle. With the advanced warning of the Force and it's help guiding me, they really had no chance. I was standing a step to left of where they aimed when their blasters went off. In turn, my blaster was in my hand and my other hand was reaching to that cylinder-shaped leather map case that always rode horizontal in the small of my back in case I needed what I always kept hidden there. I shot from the hip before they could pull their triggers a second time.

In the middle of shooting the Zygerrians, the Force had me skip into the air. Apparently, the Zygerrian on the right was a traditionalist and was using a shock whip. Maybe if he had aimed at my head or torso he would have got me, but his slaver reflexes had him go for the ankles. He was the last and got one in the chest. Between my Jedi reflexes and years of training with the 409th, I was so much faster and better than these idiots had been.

It was typical. Having a blaster alone made one so much more powerful than the unarmed, around ninety percent of the yaehoos in the galaxy who strapped one on didn't bother to train or be very good with them. This clearly included the Zygerrians.

I then pulled out a vibro-blade knife and carefully went to the big critter and cut his bonds off.

The critter, all eight hundred kilos of him, mangy and bloodshot eyes, went on all fours and growled in the most threatening way I had ever been threatened.

Luckily, the voder translated, "I will not let you hurt me!"

I put up both hands and said, "No one wants to hurt you big fella."

Between hearing his voice translated by the voder and hearing me, he seemed to start settling down.

I quickly went to some vendors and got a big pile of Oaf bird on a stick and a big bowl of water. The creature ate all the oaf bird and the sticks too, then drank the water. I got more food and more water and three piles and bowls later it seemed to feel okay. Then it rolled over and went to sleep right there.

I went through the Zygerrians. They had a few coins in different currencies each, I kept that. There were four pistols, those went to Haney. I had a deal with Haney at this point. If I dragged someone into the drunk tank and they were armed, I kept the weapons and they went to Haney's store. I got seventy and Haney got thirty. You could buy your stuff back from Haney or he might sell it to someone else. It was an effective fine to help people remember not to drink and get rowdy while armed. I got an axe and chopped the whip in half. They had a ship, parked at the edge of town. Not a very nice ship, but a ship. There were no other slaves on board. There was some more money. I kept that and locked her up.

I deputized ten men who I thought had been too happy to have this event, even if it was a sentient being, to drag the Zygerrians to the edge of town, dig a hole, and bury them in an unmarked grave.

Then I announced, "No show here. Everyone go home."

They went, probably worried they could be deputized for something else.

People learned some useful things that night. They had a Sherriff who wouldn't put up with such things. They also learned I could handle four Zygerrians, apparently pretty effortlessly. So that helped the stupid of the world who might be thinking it could be a good idea to mess with me and my town.

I spent the night with the critter.

It woke up the next morning as people came to open their stalls at the market.

"Are you hungry?" I asked.

It growled but the voder said, "Yes. I'm hungry."

"Let's go for a walk." I replied.

I showed him different kinds of food the market had. It turned out he liked raw Oaf bird and eggs the best of all the food we found. Which was good because they were cheap here. Over time, I found there was very little he couldn't or wouldn't eat, including plants, wood and bone. When he walked, sometimes he would walk or stand on his hind legs and sometimes on all fours.

He was big, and I've seen Wookies. He stood almost three meters tall and was almost as wide. His arms and legs were all about the same length, not quite as long as a human's arm but much further around. Most of his body was torso which was over a meter deep. I found a place to weigh him and he was over eight hundred kilos and he looked visibly thin.

The biggest problem I could see for him were his hands and feet. He had no fingers. He had big claws, four at the end of each limb where'd you'd expect fingers and toes. One claw was set like a kind of opposable thumb to the others, but they were big solid claws, he would have a very difficult time operating most of the technology found throughout the galaxy. His size would also make him awkward in many situations.

"I can't just keep calling you 'critter,' do you have a name?" I asked him at one point.

He made a noise that the voder couldn't translate.

"Okay, the voder can't translate that and I can't make that noise, the closest I can come is Burbur. Is that okay?"

He quickly made a noise that the voder translated as, "I approve," and I quickly learned was his version of a "yes."

I took him back to Haney's. There was a big outside hose which I used to clean him off. I leaned on Haney some for cleaning and medical supplies, but those Zygerrians' blasters would bring a lot of cash. They were roughly equivalent to a DC-17, so they could probably bring in the equivalent of two to three hundred Credits each. I got some big brushes and went to work on Burbur. I had to be careful, those manacles they had used on him had been nasty, with spines on the inside which must have caused constant pain. We got him clean, I brushed out his fur which was all messed up. Some areas were matted really bad, so I got a clipper and cut them off. Some areas underneath were okay, but some weren't. I sent for the local healer.

The healer went to work on the bad spots, some were infected, some were just irritated, but the worst had parasites.

Burbur complained sadly about how much it hurt. I comforted him as best I could. I found running the brush gently through areas where the fur was healthy was calming. I also found feeding Burbur helped distract him. Eventually the healer was done. We used a lot of healing salve from Haney's store to cover all the spots on the neck and wrists that had been worked bare and were covered with bruises, blisters and worse.

There were things we could do for Burbur and things we couldn't. We could never figure out how old he was. My impression was that he was kid. Sometimes I thought he was a 10-year-old and sometimes like a teenager. It was hard to tell. We also couldn't figure out where he came from. When we asked him the name of his home world, he made a noise the voder couldn't parse. If I could have taken him back to the Temple, chances are one of the other Jedi would have just known, and if no one knew off the top of their head, there was the Library.

I figured if we could get someplace more civilized, with a good university, we could probably figure it out. We couldn't.

I tried to find a good sleeping arrangement for Burbur, but it wasn't easy. We tried several things including, among other things, a big cushion and a hammock, but nothing worked. Eventually, we found there was a big rock in the ground between Haney's store and my cabin. Burbur liked that best.

"In summer, cold from ground makes cool. In winter, sun warms through day, makes warm." Burbur explained through the voder.

While Burbur had a lot of challenges, he was basically a good kid. Korpluck found out about him and the fact he liked their Oaf birds so much. They had a public event to see how much he could eat. People came out and watched. It had the same see a show, have some fun quality, but without the cruelty. I thought that was a good lesson for all. Burbur ate a lot of Oaf bird. When he was done, he'd eaten ten and was on eleven. Everyone cheered. Burbur was happy. After that Korpluck sent over Oaf birds with guts still in since he liked the guts. They also sent eggs for him so Burbur could eat without breaking my bank.

Burbur spent his days at the school. They came up with a cover for one of his claws, so he could awkwardly use a holopad to express himself. It wasn't perfect, but it was something. With the voder he could speak. The kids got used to him and he enjoyed playing with them. At night he was a good guard. Nothing moved in that yard he didn't know about.

I got the news that the Clones had been disbanded. The Empire was keeping some volunteers but starting up something called "Storm Troopers." That didn't mean much here in Korpluck Town in Hutt space.

But the time was right to call Bayo. So, I went into port and paid to use the transmitter they had there.

After a bit of wiggling and searching, Bayo came up. "Hey, you ready for the next thing?" I asked.

"Got plenty of blue ink and I'm ready to move on." He answered.

"I'm on Dandoran in Hutt space. Can you get yourself here or do you need me to come get you?" I asked.

"We can get there, but I have a few other good boys who need a place to go.

Would it be okay to bring them along?" He replied.

"Yeah, as long as they're reliable. There's work here at an Oaf bird plant. It's not very glamorous and the pays not great, but they're always hiring. If that's what they want, have 'em come along."

"How do I contact you when I get there?" He asked.

"Make your way north east. You'll find a predominantly human area called 'Korpluck Town.' Find Haney's Store. Wait for me there. The pie is good. Have a slice on me. Don't forget, leave the comm where you are now, preferably smashed in a sewer." I explained and reminded.

I had one small problem, the Widow Brown.

The Widow Brown was a handsome woman in her mid-thirties who ran a nice store in town. She was a regular contributor to the Sheriff's fund in good standing. She sold women's clothing and other things that might make a rough shack a slightly more civilized home like tea sets. She also had a few tables where she served tea and the best baked goods in town. Tea was probably my drink of choice and the pie was the best. The problem was, every time the Widow Brown looked at me, I could tell she was thinking she should be the new Mrs. Dodger. Inside, I was still a Jedi and loyal to the Code.

So, while I had to patrol the whole town, I made a point of spending as little time as possible around, and especially in, the Widow Brown's store. I missed the tea and pie.

So, I was surprised as I sat one afternoon in Haney's, nursing a caf, to see Fio Brown, the Widow Brown's fifteen-year-old daughter, come through the door. Fio was a fit girl with a fine mane of red hair. I'm sure there were lots of eligible young lads in town who had made clear their interest to her. As a rule, I stayed away from girls like her as it could only start the sort of rumors that would not be helpful.

She walked right up to me and said, "How'd you shoot them Zygerrians?"

"Mostly with my pistol." I answered, a bit amused and a bit put off by her bluntness.

"You know something. I know you need to teach it to me." She answered.

That set me back. I looked at her then with the Force and saw that she was brimming with it. The Force was very strong with her. The Force could push you that way. She would be confused and a little upset, but the Force would be driving her to me. Clearly the Force wanted me to train her.

"If you want me to, I can teach you." I answered.

"Yes." She said, clearly frustrated.

"It will be dangerous. If you learn these skills, powerful people will want to kill you. There'll be no funny business, but you will have to do as I say, even if it's difficult and unpleasant. If I say break rock, you break rock. If I say mop floors, you mop floors. Do you accept?" I asked.

She moved her head back and forth and her shoulders flexed. There was part of her, I could tell, that really didn't want to do this. Finally, she gave in and said, "Fine."

"Okay, are you ready for your first lesson?" I asked.

"Yes!" She answered, clearly frustrated.

"Good. Go find a copy of the Merchant of Aldreen. Read it. Then write a report on it to show me you understand what it's about." I ordered.

Her eyes went wide. "You want me to do what?"

"You heard me." I replied.

"Where am I going to find a copy of Merchant of Aldreen?" She asked incredulously.

"I'm sure your mother has a copy and I understand she's something of an expert on the Classics. I'm sure she'd be happy to help you if you have any questions." I replied.

Defeated. She left. I wondered what I had just gotten into.

Bayo and four other lads, Beck, Spike, Flint and Buddy, showed up a week later. We found a piece of land near Haney's, bought materials and built them a decent cabin with four bedrooms, two lavs and a central area with food prep equipment and a holovid. We also built a second bedroom on my cabin at Haney's. The townspeople, who had taken me to heart, gave us good deals on the materials and pitched in with the skilled labor.

I laid down the rules to the men, "We do not talk about what I did in the war, that is a, to the grave, secret."

They nodded solemnly.

I also explained, "If you make trouble in town, you'll be breaking rock."

They were good men, so I didn't think it would be a problem.

We got the men jobs at the factory, it was boring, dirty work, but no one was shooting at them.

Bayo moved into the second bedroom with me and became my deputy. We worked together for a few days and people got used to him and he got the lay of the land. We got a pair of cheap local commlinks, in case one of us needed the other in a hurry.

Then Fio came back. She had a reasonably well written essay on the Merchant of Aldreen. I ran the report past the school teacher. The teacher said it looked like her work. I took her out to a secluded spot about a mile out of town.

"Start meeting me here after school. Try not to let anybody see you leaving. If people find out you're running off to meet me, it could be bad on a whole lot of levels. Understand?" I told her.

She nodded.

I showed her some basic moves. She learned them. She was talented, and the Force was strong with her.

At the end, I had her sit cross legged with me on the ground and showed her some basics of meditation.

I felt for the Force and felt it was time to be honest.

"Do you understand what we're doing? Do you understand why you came to me?" I asked.

"Not really." She answered.

"I am going to share a very a dangerous truth with you. You must keep this secret to the grave. You can't share it with your best friend, your Mom, no one. Do you understand?" I continued.

"Yes." She answered, and I could feel the Force telling me she would keep her word.

"I am a Jedi. You are strong with the Force and the Force wants me to train you to be a Jedi. In another time, you would have gone to the Temple on Coruscant and trained there as I did. The Temple no longer exists, so we must make do as best we can here. If the Empire was to find out that I trained you in any way, they would seek your death. They would torture your Mother and your friends to death to find you. If you tell someone and they have a snit or a snap or a loose tongue or a slip of the lip, a lot of people you care about die screaming." I explained.

"Oh." She said.

"To be a Jedi is a difficult and dangerous life. You must choose. To be a Jedi requires the most serious mind. The deepest commitment. Once you choose, there can be no backing out. I want you to think about it tonight. If you don't want it, don't come back here tomorrow. If you decline this training, you can live a good and decent life here in Korpluck Town or seek your fortune in the wider galaxy. If you are here tomorrow, I expect you to be ready to follow through to the end." I said and then we got up and made our way back to the town by different paths.

The next day there she was.

"Are you sure?" I asked.

She nodded very seriously.

"Then let's begin." I said.

I taught her the basic movements. I generally also had her studying one of the classics. I also gave her nice side orders like making her get top marks in school or mopping and cleaning every square inch of her Mother's store. Obviously, no boys. No dating.

She learned fast. We fashioned two practice sabers from wood and I began to teach her the Way of the Sword. I kind of liked the wooden swords. They were much heavier than actual swords, practice with them would build up muscle and endurance. I don't how many times I got to the thirtieth hour of a battle and my arms felt like dead stone and I was sure they were going to fall off. Funny when and how the Force shows you things.

When I had ordered her to write a report on her third classic, she finally burst.

"Why do I have to study this stuff? How is it possibly related?"

At least she didn't swear.

"Being a Jedi is about more than being a buffoon with a lightsaber." I answered.

I was worried. I came to the Temple at age nine, which most would consider late and Fio was much older. I had the benefit of all the extensive resources that had been accumulated over centuries in the Temple. I had the benefit of great tutors and the finest Jedi Masters in the galaxy. She would have me and a wooden stick. I had no idea how I would ever even get her a Kyber crystal for a sword, it's not like we could hop in the Crucible and fly off to Ilum.

As I thought that last bit, I remembered with gratitude that at least someone had blasted out of the Temple with the Crucible. Maybe there had been survivors aboard. They had shown the Crucible's blasted remains later. It was impossible to tell with the grainy holovid footage, but the remains didn't look like Crucible. Most people in the galaxy would believe what the government told them. I had been on the Crucible.

If the Order ever was to come back, it would be because individual Jedi like me kept the dream alive. It might not happen in my lifetime, so I would do my best with Fio. It was clearly the will of the Force.

Things were pretty good. I had Bayo there as my deputy. While the other four clones were working at the plant, it was understood they could become a posse fast. People had mostly learned their lessons about getting drunk in public. It still happened, but it's one thing for someone to blow off some steam. It's another if they brandish a deadly weapon. People still got drunk and slept it off in the street. They didn't blast things.

Burbur was sleeping in the yard and being good.

The days went by.

One day, Digozeev the Devaronian, representative of the local Hutt, came to visit me and we had a seat at Haney's.

"Hello Digozeev, what brings you to Korpluck Town today?" I asked.

Digozeev had a thick accent as he gutturally said, "You are charging for protection. Protection belong to the Hutt."

"I'm not interfering with the payments to the Hutt." I replied.

"All payments belong to the Hutt." He growled.

"I'm keeping the peace here at no cost to the Hutt. That makes this town more profitable and valuable. The Hutt should accept that and be grateful." I replied.

"No respect Hutt. He will make you broken." Digozeev threatened.

"Do you see that gentleman over there?" I asked gesturing to Bayo.

"Yes." Digozeev replied.

"We served together in the Clone Wars. We cracked a lot of nuts much harder than the Hutt. I don't think anyone wants trouble. I'm sure the Hutt and you are businessmen. I'm sure we can come to an understanding." I replied.

"Perhaps if you do favor for Hutt, Hutt overlooks." Digozeev said.

"What sort of favor?" I asked.

"There is thing Hutt wants. Offworld. You go get. Bring back. Give to Hutt. Hutt overlooks." Digozeev said.

"I would need a ship. Also, you'd have to be more specific." I replied.

"You have ship." Digozeev replied.

"I haven't used it. It may not work." I replied.

"Make work." Digozeev replied.

"What do you want that you can't just go buy or get for yourself?" I asked.

"We want this." Digozeev replied as he pulled out a holopad, looked like a really spiffy new model from the Techno Union. Had some sort of fruit logo.

Digozeev tapped something and a picture of the Zillo beast popped on the screen.

"I have no idea where that beast might be. Perhaps the Hutt should check on Malastare?" I said snarkily.

"Not on Malastare. We know where it is. Is here." He said as he tapped the pad again and showed a research station on Eadu.

"You want me to go to Eadu. Attack this heavily guarded research station. Steal a one-hundred-meter-long carcass. Then bring it back and give it to you?" I asked incredulously.

"Yes." He replied almost without accent.

"I would need a ship." I said.

Digozeev responded, "You have ship."

"Then I need the ship fixed. I need fuel. I need a wad of cash. No more problems with the Hutt for me and the people of Korpluck Town, they don't pay him anything, ever again, and he leaves them alone." I said matter of factly.

"You ask too much." Digozeev said.

"I'm worth it. Go back to your boss. Get the deal approved. In writing. Move quick, my guess is that if this Hutt knows about this thing, there will be other interested parties. That beast won't stay on Eadu long. I'll go look at that ship." I replied.

Digozeev nodded.

For the first time since the evening it arrived, I went back and opened the ship. To say it was filthy and was the worst smelling thing I had ever smelled would be an understatement and I've been on battlefields, battlefields in sewers, battlefields in sewers on fire. Bayo and I went to work on it. Burbur, refused to go inside but he carried stuff to the hatch. Fio came too, and the other four troopers on their down time. We worked as hard as I've ever worked. Eventually, feeling overwhelmed with the task, we hired Old Nanny a resident of Korpluck Town who cleaned for money. She was a wizened old lady who could not have weighed 40 kilos. She immediately got to work and worked harder than all of us put together. We got it to as clean as it could get, but it still somehow seemed besmirched and the smell was still there, hiding in the background.

Digozeev came back, the Hutt had agreed.

I flew the ship to Doran City's Spaceport, specifically the mechanic's shed. Old Man Goorg, a particularly disreputable looking Chevin was the mechanic. Goorg was assisted by surly young Phook, a human teenage boy who leered at Fio too much and seemed to spend the rest of his time complaining. I did not have a lot of confidence in the quality of their work. In deference to the Hutt. They worked on the ship for two weeks straight. What quality the repairs had? Who knows. I took her for a brief spin after they were done repairing her, she seemed okay, but my confidence was still not brimming over. The ship was fueled, loaded with some provisions and we packed up to go.

Who would go? The obvious choice seemed Bayo and me. However, how long would we be away? Who would look after Burbur? I decided we could leave Burbur with Fio and her Mom. The Widow Brown was a responsible adult.

I had a talk with The Widow Brown, she was willing to look after Burbur. I think she felt that made us closer. I did not know how I would deal with that later.

So, the day came. We said our good byes and boarded the Zygerrian ship, the frustum shaped thing didn't handle well, wasn't fast, was lightly armed and shielded and would likely break down at the worst possible moment. It was the living embodiment of the jokes Coruscanti kids would make about a Hutt expedition. Funny, except I was now the living butt of the joke.

We set coordinates and made our jump. It would take a few hours to make it to Eadu. A little while after we jumped, I heard a noise like a load thump. I went to investigate and who should I find, Fio and Burbur, perfect.

"We're turning around now." I said to Bayo.

"We can't." He said.

"Why not?" I asked annoyed.

"This hyper drive only has so much in it. If we turn around on the longest leg, she might not make it." Bayo explained.

Fio sat there with her wooden sword and looked ever so smug. Burbur looked at her and imitated her smug look.

I looked at them and said, "Fine. You're in."

They stopped looking smug then.

We came out of hyperspace with me at the controls and I was trying to move carefully into Eadu space.

There were some incredibly good pilots in the order. Brilliant masters of space combat who could merge the Force with their piloting. They had vast experience of the tactics and strategies of space combat and were cunning warriors. But I was not one of them.

I had the ship come out of hyperspace well out of the system which would hopefully reduce the hyperspace emergence signature. Then I maneuvered as carefully as possible to keep rocks between myself and Eadu. I tried to keep the planet between myself and the Imperial presence, but after endless hours of frustrating stalking, just as we were getting close, an accursed TIE fighter patrol that was exactly in the wrongest possible place at the wrongest possible time picked us up and attacked.

"Battle stations!" I yelled as I slammed on the meager shields and pushed down the throttle. Bayo leapt into the gunner's seat but the cannon on the ship was weak, cycled slowly and didn't seem to be well sighted in meaning she didn't give nearly as much she got. The TIE fighter patrol was quickly joined by others as I desperately tried to dodge and weave. The shields were down quickly, and the ship started taking damage it couldn't afford. Just before she broke apart, I managed to get her into hyperspace. The problem was, Eadu had only one way in and one way out. As soon as we got to our next destination, pursuit would be coming in hot.

"Get all your stuff together. When we get to the next system, there's a station. We'll go dock and abandon the ship. Then we'll need to find new transportation as quick as we can and get the hell out." I ordered.

"How will we go back and get that creature?" Fio asked.

"However, it is, it won't be on this ship. Also, that Imperial presence looked like they were guarding the garage door when the hover bike has already been stolen. We'll need to find new transportation and then circle around and see what we can find later." I answered.

Everyone collected up their few possessions and were ready to debark when we emerged in Aram system.

One could tell from the way the ship listed and wallowed, it was not in good shape. Eventually, I got her to the only station in the system, a little backspace no place that supported a small local spice mining operation.

"Come on, follow me and stay close." I said.

I checked a station map and started moving to the Sutler's. The station Sutler generally has a pretty good sense of what is what and would hopefully be friendly to potential customers. The hallways weren't filled with trash, but they were old, poorly maintained and had unfriendly dim lighting. Finally, we got to the Sutler's. I could feel the Force telling me deadly pursuit was close behind.

We walked into the Sutler's shop. Immediately, Fio and Burbur started looking around like they were on a shopping holiday. Bayo stationed himself by the opening to the concourse and started to watch, his hands casually close to his pistols. At least he had some tactical sense.

I walked up to the Sutler, a neatly kept, friendly looking human male of short height, dark hair and mustache.

I said, "Our ship's having some mechanical issues, but we need to get moving right away. Is there a ship here for sale or, if not, someone who could be hired to take us as passengers?"

"Well the only ship on the station that I know is for sale is this one," then the Sutler pulled out a holotablet, hit a few keys and showed a small prospecting ship.

It was a tiny, single person ship. I could imagine fitting in and maybe squeezing in Fio, or at a real pinch, which we were in, Bayo, but never Burbur or even Fio and Bayo.

"I don't think that will work. Is there a ship that will take us as passengers?" I asked.

"Old Man Domay has a small transport and does some freelance runs?" The Sutler offered.

"Oh good, how do we contact him?" I asked.

"I'd expect him back in a few hours, he's making a delivery nearby, but he hates to miss his dinner." The Sutler replied.

"Is there anyone else?" I asked.

"The mining company has a regular transport one can buy room on, but it doesn't come till next week and I'm afraid that's it." The Sutler replied.

A bit more conversation and the Sutler showed me how to watch station logs to see Old Man Domay's return and also agreed to let us know when he noticed as well. We sat down in the Sutler's very modest café and ordered cafs, except for Burbur. I bought the big furry kid a whole oaf bird from the cooler and he happily ate it. The Sutler's whole place was an alcove on the main station concourse. The counter was at the turn-wise side of the store, then some tables forming the modest café and then racks of merchandise. Coolers were on the inside wall.

There was almost no warning. One moment, we were sitting at the rickety table nursing our cafs while Burbur begged for another oaf bird, the next I was on my feet, the lightsaber in my hands parrying an axe blade, I was in an awkwardly confining spot with my back to the counter, the arch of the opening to the causeway on my left and a big human man with a round, brown face before me. The man held an ax, which I was now parrying with my saber. The axe blade was made of a micro shield, colloquially known as a shock axe, which would allow it to cause terrible wounds and deflect a saber's blade. He was pushing down on my parrying saber with incredible strength. The axe flashed centimeters from my face with lightning bolt arcs.

Then we were fighting for all I was worth. It was all I could do to keep up with the big man and his axe and I quickly realized, a shock knife as well, as he attacked. He was in the open causeway with plenty of room to move, and he was doing an excellent job keeping me bottled up in this corner.

Another attacker came in and shot Burbur with a stun. That only seemed to piss Burbur off. He then tried to shoot Bayo, but Bayo was already behind a display with blasters out returning fire.

The big guy with the axe was clearly a Force user, but not a Jedi. As I parried his two energy weapons, I remembered the training we got for this at the Temple. There had been no discussion of other Force wielders in my youngling or Padawan days, but during that twelve-week special training, we had spent a couple hours discussing it.

Master Windu lectured, "Throughout the galaxy, there are many names for the Force and many different sorts of practitioners. Many are peaceful and friendly. Many are not. The most famous you may have heard of are the Sith and perhaps the Night Sisters."

I had heard of the Sith, they were on everyone's mind since Qi Gon Jinn's duel. I had never heard of the Night Sisters.

Master Windu continued, "Even if they are violent and hostile, most other Force wielding groups will not challenge the Order because, were they to do so, the vastly superior numbers of the Jedi Order would crush them. However, it is not impossible that the Separatists will be able to induce one or more of these Force wielders to take to the battlefield on their side. So, we should be prepared.

"It is our well-educated opinion that the path that most strongly bonds sentient with the Force is the Jedi path. Also, we believe there is no better training and preparation available. These should be assets to you if you must fight such a being. However, you must also remember, these other Force wielders may have led lives filled with intense violence. Further, while they will likely be a complete surprise to you, they have likely been thinking about fighting a Jedi their entire lives."

I got an opening and pushed him back, but he used the pommel of his axe to press something on his arm.

He then attacked again and got both his axe and knife on my saber and we found ourselves in a test of strength. I suspect with his size, he had some natural advantage. However, a struggle like this was not a test of physical strength, it was a test of one's affinity with the Force. I could feel his fury focusing his strength against my saber.

A group of storm troopers showed up and started shooting.

The one nearest me had a perfect bead on me and was about to shoot me when Fio erupted over the counter and slammed her saber down on his head so hard the wood broke. The trooper went down like a puppet whose strings had been cut. Luckily, she lost her footing and fell over backward behind the counter just as a bunch of blaster bolts passed through the space she had just been inhabiting. I think the Sutler broke her fall.

I heard a yell from across the concourse, "Hey the bucket heads are shooting at little girls!"

Suddenly stationers were shooting at the troopers and the troopers, standing in the middle of the concourse, were shooting in both directions. Despite being in a bad spot, the troopers didn't panic, they held, and they started inflicting terrible casualties on the stationers.

As more troopers started to arrive, Burbur leapt up and roared, then he grabbed a trooper, picked him up sideways and in a terrifying display, bit him in half right through the armor. Then another trooper shot Burbur in the chest and the big furry kid went down.

It was only a matter of moments before more troopers showed up and overwhelmed us.

Then up the hall at a sprint came a four-armed guy wearing a long green coat. Behind him was a spidery floating droid. The guy was wearing a helmet that obscured his face with some sort of deflector shield, but as he got close I could see his face as he said, "Hi Jojo."

I replied, "Hi Furry."

He said, "You done playing with that guy?"

Suddenly he had two double sabers in his hands and he started going through the troopers like a harvester droid through wheat.

I focused on my adversary. My strength flowed from for the Force and a powerful ally it was. Once again, I pushed him off and this time, there was an opening. My saber slashed down, and his right forearm went with it. I was about to sweep to the right and cut him in half when his knife found it's way into my gut. I blinked and when my eyes opened, he was staggering away. Then his buddy, who Furry hadn't seen, shot Furry in the back. I lost track of things then for a few seconds.

***Captain Bayonet, Aram Station, Near the Sutler's Store***

Bayo looked around. The one with the rifle was dragging axe boy away and they disappeared into the forming mob. Thanks to the green coat Jedi, there were no moving troopers in the causeway for a second. Bayo knew they needed to make their escape. He holstered his pistols and ran over to General Zaemon and got his hand under his shoulder. General Zaemon turned off his saber and put it on his belt. Then he picked up the axe.

"Might want this." General Zaemon said a little muzzy and then coughed up blood.

The man in the green coat said, "Is that creature with you?" Pointing at Burbur.

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	9. Chapter 9

**Legend of the Harp**

 **Episode I: Birth of a Jedi**

 **Chapter 9: Reunion**

***Jedi Knight Furin Kazan, Aram Station***

Then my memory started to reassemble.

Jojo was here. He was alive! I wasn't the last and alone anymore. These thoughts were going through my head as pure joy when Jojo handled the big guy he was fighting. Then, in a moment of true nightmare, the joy was shattered when the man's knife went into Jojo's stomach. Then a blossom of fiery pain hit me in the back. I'm not sure if I fell down.

That's when reality started swimming, I tried to size up the situation.

There was a clone helping Jojo. I twitched with an immediate hostile reaction to the clone, but he was clearly helping Jojo and must be an ally.

"Is that creature with you?" I asked the clone, pointing at Burbur.

"Yes." the clone yelled back over the rising din.

"Shield bring the creature." I said then staggered.

Someone got under my arm. I looked and was completely stunned for a moment. I could have sworn the person under my arm was Fion!

We moved as quickly as possible down the causeway. Soon we were on Bearer.

I shouted from the cargo hold, "Pilot debark and get us to the Fortress."

The Pilot replied over the intercom, "Station refusing to give debark permission sir."

I took out one of my double sabers and held it up, "Shield take this and break station."

Shield took the double saber and went to the docking ring. He inserted his data plug into the door. One could hear armored trooper feet coming down the docking ring. After a few endless moments of wondering if we would have to fight a squad of Storm Troopers as we were, the station door closed. Then Shield placed the saber in the station docking ring and lit it, twisted it once one hundred and eighty degrees and Bearer was no longer connected to the station. There was a second of low pressure while Bearer's door closed.

"Pilot go now. Emergency speed." I yelled again.

We all fell down when Bearer suddenly pulled away from the station and we were going.

"Shield please get me up to the cockpit." I said.

Shield picked me up and carried me, quite gently, to the cockpit. I confirmed we were on track to jump to hyperspace. I had feared pursuit from the station, but they may have had a company of troopers, but apparently no space fighters. I wouldn't be surprised if reinforcements were inbound. The Empire would never want to ignore direct, general defiance as it had just been shown on the station. There had been several dead stationers for each trooper, but I'm sure the Empire would want to exact another large measure of punishment. I was proven right when one of the new Star Destroyers entered the system and started disgorging TIE fighters. Fortunately, they were light minutes away, so we would wave as we … jumped to hyperspace.

Then I was back in the now.

I just wanted to fall asleep in that co-pilot chair and never wake up. My back hurt so badly. But I had, for the first time, guests.

"Shield get me back down to our guests" I managed to get out.

Shield carried me gently back down to the hold.

There they were. A little less woozy and I could tell the girl might be Fion's spitting image but wasn't her. Their big creature was still breathing but did not look good. Jojo was on the floor. He was unconscious, they had a limited med-kit, but I didn't have much more aboard.

"Welcome aboard Bearer. We're en route to a place I have. There is medical assistance there. Shield, please bring the ship's med-kit." I said.

The girl looked up and asked, "Who are you?"

"I'm an old friend of Jojo's." I answered.

"When he says Jojo, I think he's shortening General Jors Zaemon's name, or who you know as Dodger." The clone explained.

There was a twitch in me to hate the clone. There was a lot of Jedi blood on clone hands. But the way this clone had carried Jojo out of the station, I had to guess he was a friend.

"I don't know about the Dodger part, but the Jors Zaemon part, yes definitely." I agreed.

"Does that mean you're also a Jedi?" The girl asked.

"I suppose so." I answered, feeling much older than my years.

Then I lapsed into unconsciousness.

I awoke when we landed.

"Shield take the large creature to med-bay one. Have them send gurneys for my friend and me."

Shield took the creature and only a few minutes later, two hover gurneys arrived. I could tell they weren't sure how to get Jojo onto the gurney, so I just lifted him very gently with the Force and put him on.

"I could use a bit of help though." I said lying on the floor.

My gurney came close and a grip and tug by the clone and I was lying on it.

"To med-bay two please and you two, please come with." I said, then added by com to Shield, "When the creature is being treated, please join us at med-bay two."

We all went to med-bay two. When we got there, essentially a comfortable waiting area, I said, "Take the other patient on the gurney in and help him."

The gurney took him in for the medical droid to get to work on. While we remained in the small waiting area.

I looked at the two remaining guests, "Please stay here. Shield will get you food and drinks if you want. There are a variety of security precautions I have that could hurt you by accident. For now though, Shield please take me to Med-Bay P."

We left for my main med-bay, where the medical droid who ran the base lived.

When we got to the waiting room, I explained to Shield and the Medical droid, "I don't want them to know Dr. Boll is here. They are to be kept separate. Understood?"

"Yes, Master Harp, if that is what you wish." The Droid acknowledged.

"I understand." Shield said.

Then I let the gurney take me in and was anesthetized.

The guy who shot me must have done so with a blaster on a low power setting, like the DC-17 on four shot mode or lower. In addition, the shot was glancing, not square. Luckily, my coat and flight suit had limited armor capabilities. Of course, the shot had missed all the hard armor I wear. The result, I was hurt, but not mortally. Some basic cleaning, a quick dunk in the bacta tank and I wasn't good as new, but a reasonable facsimile. It still hurt, but I could move. Since my coat and flight suit weren't in good shape, I had Shield bring me some of my prosperous trader clothes.

I went to visit my guests. They were still sitting in the waiting room.

The clone got up and started to say, "How are…"

I waived him to quiet and said, "I'm fine, please give me a prognosis on the human patient?"

Over the intercom, the med-droid reported, "Human patient was stabbed in the lower abdomen. Had subsequently lost a large amount of blood and had gone into shock. There was substantial damage and leakage in the abdominal cavity. Initial treatment was successful. Patient will require thirty-six more hours of bacta tank treatment. After which he should be self-ambulatory." We heard over the speaker.

"Non-human patient?"

"The Mustelidae did not respond to initial treatment and we do not have a bacta tank of sufficient size to accommodate him. He did not regain consciousness. He has passed."

The happiness at hearing about Jojo's recovery changed to horror on their faces.

"I am very sorry for your loss. May the Force comfort you." I said.

We all sat for a bit and the clone did his best to comfort the girl, who was crying with great sobs.

***Ti Bault, Aram Mining Station***

I took Gall back to his ship. About half-way, I stopped and put a tourniquet on his arm, so he wouldn't bleed out. He dropped his knife, so I picked it up, turned it off and put it in my belt. I then mostly dragged him to his ship, got him strapped down in a chair, and left port. The Gozanti was just entering hyperspace as we pulled out. A Star Destroyer entered the system, but I didn't want to depend on Gall's close ties to ImpSec, so I headed the other way and jumped. I made my way, by several jumps, to a Sullustan smuggler's station favored by those on the shady side of the law with a good med-bay that could be hired for money.

When I got there and docked, they sent a gurney on and collected Gall. I followed after and made sure they took good care of him. Gall didn't even need a dunk in the bacta tank, just a transfusion and having his arm closed up. He also was out for a full galactic day while I thought about being in the same hallway with the hijacker. I think I had even shot him, but I knew I hadn't killed him. I knew that droid of his was about to drop me like a sack of old rations, so I took off, but I had been so close. Yes, this wasn't some perfect case for a court on Alderaan, but I would bet my bottom Credit he was my quarry and that was the Gozanti I was looking for.

When he woke the next day, Gall looked at me, "You didn't leave me to die and steal my ship."

"We had a deal." I replied.

"I suppose we did. Just haven't met too many out-worlders who would keep one." He said.

"Me neither, truth be told." I agreed.

He thought that was funny.

"What happened to me?" He asked.

"The second Jedi cut off your right arm. You lost a lot of blood. I got you to a place where we could get some medical attention quietly."

"Where are my axe and knife?" He asked with sudden urgency.

"Your knife is right here," I took his knife out and handed it to him. He took it reverently.

"and the axe?" He continued.

"You left that on the floor mate. I think the second Jedi may have picked it up. I'm not sure. There was a lot going on." I said.

"Why didn't you get it?" He asked suddenly furious.

"Hey, you're the one who dropped it on the ground. It was you or the axe. I picked you. Sorry I guessed wrong. You're alive right now to be upset about that axe because I didn't leave you to bleed out on some dingy station's floor. I'm also out some major coin for paying for your medical treatment. I could be back where I started at Eadu only with a cool new ship and some extra info. Maybe if I'd pursued faster I'd be stalking my guy right now. I chose to keep you alive instead." I answered more annoyed than furious.

"You're right. It was not your duty to keep the axe, it was mine and I have failed. If there is any hope, I must track this Jedi, kill him and recover what is mine." He replied, losing his furious edge.

Then, after a few moments, he went on to ask, "What of my arm?"

"We were waiting for you to wake up and make some decisions. I'd already laid out a lot of cash for you, which I expect repaid." I answered.

***Jedi Furin Kazan, Un-named System, New Temple***

I took my first ever guests to a part of the fortress where I had pleasant quarters and got them squared away.

"Sorry, don't have much in the way of clothing or personal items, but you can get a shower, one of the cook/housekeeper droids will take your clothes and clean them and there is plenty of food to eat. There's also some HoloNet access as well. When Dodger," and it was hard to use that name, "wakes up, we will all decide what our next step is together. Try to stay in this area so my security precautions don't do something unfortunate." I said.

I had the first med-droid wrap up the Mustelidae for shipment.

I spent the next three days with my guests. Captain Bayonet told me a bit about his past with Jojo.

"You've been living in this Korpluck Town and acting as it's law enforcement officers?" I asked quite surprised.

"Yes. It's a good life." The Captain answered.

I found it amusing. In the days of the Order, a single Jedi would look after the well-being of billions, if not trillions of sentient beings. This Korpluck Town was well served to have it's own Jedi protector. I wondered if they realized how well off they were.

The girl, Fio, what a coincidence of names, also had questions for me, "So you were at the Jedi Temple with Dodger?"

"Yes, we were peers. He was always better with the saber though. I was a bit better in academics." I answered.

"Were you friends?" She asked.

What a question. How to answer? By the standards of the Order, no, not really. He wasn't a roommate. We didn't generally sit together to eat. I didn't avoid him. As I recalled, he was the leader of his own little cadre, but they weren't bullies or cruel, that sort of thing wouldn't be tolerated at the Temple. We had talked a handful of times and the conversations had been polite and cordial. When one is in the Order, one has cast off all other connections, but every other member of the Order is then family. It is also drummed into the young that the Jedi way is not one of bullying or petty feuds. We needed to be polite, ideally cordial, with one another. Our lives would likely depend on one another. The people of the galaxy had to have confidence our arbitrations were unbiased. If you found yourself in some sort of feud with a fellow Jedi and you couldn't resolve it, one could find a more senior Jedi to arbitrate. Open feuding was not tolerated. Even the kind of feuding that was hidden behind smiles wasn't tolerated because we were all in a place where there were many who could see behind smiles. It meant, in the end, that we knew we could trust each other with our lives. You would give another Jedi anything, they would withhold nothing from you.

Yes, I had been estranged from the Order before the end, but I had been in regular contact with Master Arunx. I knew where the Temple was. It hurt me deeply that I felt they had rejected me, but I had always hoped for a happy reunion. I might have expected, had they not failed to remove Palpatine, I would have been vindicated and perhaps returned to the Temple. Maybe with the end of the war the Intelligence Department would have been dissolved and I would have been welcomed back to L&A, my report and my prestige corroborated. Now we would never know.

"We were like family." I answered.

"Oh, that's nice." She answered.

"He's training you?" I asked. 

I could tell she was strong with the Force and she moved like a young Padawan.

"Yes. Do you think I can truly be a Jedi?" She asked.

Could anyone ever be trained to be a true Jedi again with Temple destroyed and the Order mostly dead?

"It doesn't matter what I think. What matters is what you believe." I answered.

I spent the next few days very pleasantly. We trained together. While she and Jojo had only been working together for a few months, I judged her skills at the beginning of Padawan years. Normally, in the Temple, that meant she would be assigned to a Knight or Master who would look after the remainder of her training and prepare her for the Tests. Up to this point, for all they knew, they had been all that was left of the Order, so I'm sure they would have expected her to continue to study with Jojo. But it was traditional to get a new teacher as a Padawan. Would they want her to start training with me? Did I want her to start training with me? It was so intimidating. Was I worthy to be the mentor of a Padawan? I had so much on my plate. Where would I find the time? As I worked with her though, I felt the joy that comes from feeling one is helping a young person to become a better person, to realize their true, best, self. I found it truly intoxicating.

I showed them both my training area. They enjoyed it. The clone, Bayo, seemed to be getting some frustration out shooting the shadows of the Hogan's alley. Fio enjoyed getting to use a training saber for the first time. I got to spar with someone alive again. She was better than I had been when I completed Initiate Trials.

I was sitting at a desk by myself on the second day of waiting for Jojo to recover getting some work done. I had just mollified Corbeen about another disaster in the shipbuilding project when I noticed Shield was hovering about.

"Hello Shield. How are you?" I asked with a smile.

"I am scared." He answered in his mechanical tones.

"Why are you scared?" I asked, suddenly concerned he had detected some imminent threat.

"I am scared that you don't like me anymore." Shield replied.

"I am very fond of you Shield and you have been wonderfully helpful to me. Why don't you think I would like you?" I asked.

"You were shot. I failed to protect you." Shield answered.

"Shield, did you try to protect me as best you could?" I asked.

"Yes." Shield answered.

"Once I was hurt, did you do everything you could to help and protect me?" I asked.

"Yes." Shield answered.

"Did you do everything you could to correct the mistake you made?" I asked.

"Yes." Shield answered.

"Will you learn from your mistake and do better next time?" I asked.

"Yes." Shield answered.

"Then I am well pleased and I definitely still like you very much."

"Thank-you." Shield said.

"Oh, and Shield, if I ever make a mistake, will you please be patient with me and give me more chances?" I asked.

"Yes, I will give you many chances." Shield answered with some emotion clearly finding the question amusing.

"Also, I am so glad you came to me to discuss this matter. You did it exactly right. You waited until there was a nice quiet moment and you came to me privately. That's very good judgment." I complimented.

"Thank-you Sir." Shield replied in a pleased tone.

"In addition, if you are ever upset or scared, please come talk to me. I care about you very much and I would want to know." I said as reassuringly as I could.

"I will." Shield answered.

"Is there anything else?" I asked.

"No." Shield answered.

"Please go and see if our guests need anything." I asked.

"Will do." Shield answered and floated off.

Three days later, Jojo came out of Med-Bay Two, sitting up on his gurney. He was conscious.

Fio and Bayo ran over and welcomed him.

"All done lying about are you?" Bayo said as he clapped Jojo on the shoulder.

"I know you did all this just so you could have weight reduction surgery, you're so vain!" Fio said snarkily with her arms crossed over her chest.

That made Jojo giggle, and then he said, "Don't make me laugh, it hurts!"

My lips were smirking but inside I was flying. He was alive. I was not alone!

"I am very gratified to see you still alive Master Zaemon," I greeted him.

"It is good to see you still live, Master Kazan," He replied.

My back soreness was almost gone. His gut soreness would probably last a week, but he was basically good now.

"So, I understand that while I was waging a galactic struggle against the Empire, you've been making a small village safe from rowdy drunks?" I asked.

"Hey, I've been following orders, laying low. Just like you to be waging galactic conflicts when you're supposed to be laying low." He said.

"Yes, I've always had a problem with orders, haven't I?" I replied.

Rather than answer my facetious question, Jojo looked around nervously and asked, "Do we need to leave here soon? Do you know who this place belongs to?"

"No and yes." I answered.

"Are they going to be bothered that we're hanging around here using their medicine and eating their food? Jojo asked.

"No, I think he's quite happy about it actually, the three of you are his first guests." I answered.

"Are you saying…?" Jojo began.

"Yes, this is my place and you can eat and get as much medical treatment as you like. In fact, you are welcome to stay as long as you would like. In fact, I wish you would never stop visiting." I answered smiling.

"Hey where's Burbur?" He asked suddenly noticing the absence.

Fio knelt down by his gurney and said, "I'm sorry. He didn't make it."

Jojo closed his eyes and leaned back on the gurney and said quietly, "Juuntarg."

"I'm sorry too. I understand you didn't know what species he was. We figured that out. We could take him home to his people when you're ready?" I offered.

"I would appreciate that." He answered.

We spent a few days to let Jojo get his strength back.

On the second night, I dragged him to a separate spot where I pulled out the best brandy and spice sticks I had in the place. I poured him a glass and handed him a stick. We sat down in the overstuffed chairs between the false fire place and the vast vista of fake starscape.

He started, "Do you know where there are any others?"

"No, you're the first I've run across. Have you?" I replied.

"No same. What were you doing in that back end of space station?" He answered.

"I was keeping an eye on one of your attackers and my insight said to get there right away. I'm glad I listened."

"You know who attacked us?" He asked incredulously.

"Yes, the Corollon was a man named Ti Bault and the large brown human was Gall. Do you think he was a Force user?" I answered.

"Amazing and yes, he was definitely a Force user. Not as sophisticated as a Jedi, but wickedly good with his weapons. Definitely not afraid to reach to the dark side for help." He answered.

I handed him the axe he had brought back. "You collected a souvenir. I suspect he'll want it back. It's not like it uses a Kyber crystal, but I'm sure it must have sentimental value."

He held up the axe and looked at it. "When he hit with this, he hit hard."

Then he set it down beside the chair.

"Why did your youngling have a wooden saber?" I asked.

"I don't have another saber for her. It's not like we can wander off to Ilum. She wasn't even supposed to be on that station. Neither was Burbur. What a wonderful way to be proved right." He answered.

"I think I can fix that." I typed a bit into a nearby holopad, then continued, "I'm sure he's returned to the Force, try to be comforted."

"I have to accept it. He made a choice. I respected it. He knew those might be the consequences. I know he's returned to the Force." He answered.

"We'll bring him home." I said.

"Yeah I know." He said.

"Now we are not alone. I see you were already doing something about that." I said humorously.

"She's quite a kid, isn't she?" He asked.

"I've been working with her. She is amazing. She could be the spitting image of Fion and with that name!" I said.

"Yeah, she could be, funny I hadn't connected that till now. Must have had my head hit too many times." He said.

"What are your plans for her?" I asked.

"I was planning to train her as best I could. Yes, I'm not the whole Temple, but the Jedi shouldn't die out for lack of a nice building. In ancient times, there were bad times like this. Also, it was clearly the will of the Force, you can't fight that. At least now I'll have some help, I hope?" He explained.

"Anything I can do, of course I will, and speaking of that," I said as Shield came in.

Shield dropped a light saber in my hand.

"This saber might suit her when you judge her ready." I said and handed it to him.

He took the saber and looked at it for a few moments, then said, "Are my eyes deceiving me? Is this the saber I think it is?"

"Yes, that is Athaclena's light saber." I answered.

"How did you get this saber?" He asked incredulously.

"Same place I got the med droid who worked on you. I raided several of General Grievous' hideouts. They were full of useful stuff." I answered.

"I think you need to tell me what you've been up to." Jojo said.

I gave him a summary of my activities. I didn't necessarily mention everything.

"So, you gave the Council a report showing Palpatine was the Sith with almost a year of war left and they not only did nothing, they exiled you?" He asked.

"Well, that's not completely true, I suggested exile." I defended them.

Jojo gave me a look. He knew full well what was going on.

"So, you have built a shipping company. You have a fleet of pirates. You've crushed the Banking Clans. You're actively supporting insurrection. You have this place and another place in Corellia space and stuff stashed somewhere else. I've been keeping a little village safe from drunks." He said.

"I couldn't figure out how to march a company of troopers around the enemy at night and earned my nickname. You were one of the greatest heroes of the war, saving countless lives. You also took a first step to rebuild the Order. I wouldn't want to see how everything I've accomplished would balance against Fio." I replied.

"What's important is that we're together now. We can support each other. If we find any other Jedi, we can give them safe haven." Jojo said.

"So, we have to decide what our next step is?" I posed.

"The next step should be taking Burbur home." Jojo said.

"Agreed." I nodded.

"After that, I have no idea. I'm supposed to be finding the Zillo Beast for the local Hutt, but I have no idea where to look." Jojo said dejectedly.

"I have the Zillo beast and we will not be giving it to some Hutt who is probably only looking for it so he can give it back to the Empire." I said.

"You have it?" Jojo said amazed.

"Yes, who do you think blew up the research station at Eadu.?" I answered.

"What will I say to the Hutt?" He asked.

"I'm sure we can find a way to comfort him from his disappointment." I replied grimly.

Then I continued, "I have a suggestion. You don't have much piloting training if I'm reading these reports correctly and I suspect Fio and Bayo have none."

"Yeah, that's true." Jojo replied.

"Come back with me to Upsalon Station. I have a nice arrangement with a local flight school. Get some flight training. Won't make you into the super ace of the galaxy, but it will certainly help. It would be good for Fio." I cajoled.

"Sounds like a plan." Jojo replied.

So, we loaded Burbur into Bearer and we all filed in. A twelve-hour voyage took us to Mustelidae. We entered orbit. There was no system control or stations. I scanned the planet's surface. The planet had no permanent settlements, industry or modern power sources. I determined there was an area where there were other spacecraft landed and a concentration of life forms. There were no other signs of industrial civilization.

"That looks like our best bet." I said showing the report to Jojo and the others.

"Burbur could have come from anywhere down there. If he had family, I'd love to contact them." Jojo replied.

I took us down and landed without incident on some hard-packed earth. When Bearer's lift put us on the ground we had our first look at Burbur's homeworld. The area we had landed in was a vast rolling plain of yellow grass. It seemed to be bounded by majestic mountains on all sides. It was very picturesque. We went for a walk to see the lay of the place. It quickly became apparent this was almost a stereotypical example of galactic society meeting a very primitive people. There were a number of traders representing a number of species and civilizations. They seemed to have a number of wares to trade including textiles, simple implements, minor technological gee gaws and, most prominently, food, particularly oaf birds, kevass mutton, hezer pork and bukar beef. The Mustelidae were trading back a variety of precious rocks and metals, but most prominently, gravene ore. Gravene ore was a key component of gravitic systems. A few kilos of high quality gravene ore could be sold for hundreds of Credits. Here it seemed to go for a half credit oaf bird.

We inquired among the Mustelidae and found the local head man.

Jojo began, "We are looking for the family of one of your kind. His name was," Jojo played something back from his voder which was unpronounceable.

The head man replied, "He was traded to off worlders for oaf birds."

"You sold him for food?" Jojo asked.

The Head Man replied, "Yes. Off worlders came. Said they would give many birds if one of us came with them." The headman then pronounced Burbur's name, "wanted to go. He wanted to see the stars close up."

"I see." Jojo answered then continued, "The people who took him were cruel. They hurt him. I rescued Burbur from them. Then he came with me and he was killed by bad men. We brought his body home to be with his people. What is done among your kind for the dead?"

"You bring Burbur tonight with one hundred oaf birds and we give good funeral." The Head Man offered.

"We'll see you tonight." Jojo said.

We came back that night. I didn't have one hundred oaf birds on Bearer and it didn't seem like a smart move to buy them from local traders considering what they were going for. So, I raided the larder for emergency ration bars. I tried to find ones that had the meaty, not the fruity or nutty flavors. When I had one hundred bars and the sun began to set we went back.

There were a huge number of the Mustelidae waiting for us. We set down Burbur's body and the hundred ration bars. Then the creatures charged. We only avoided being crushed by Shield raising an energy shield around our group. The creatures ran forward and grabbed up the ration bars and ate them. Then they ate Burbur. It might be their way, but it seemed savage. After they were done eating Burbur, it looked like some took bites out of each other. Eventually, with the food gone, the mob dispersed.

As a Jedi, and as a sophisticated citizen of the galaxy, I've been taught not to be parochial or judgmental in my views. Yes, this was not my way, but these were an alien people and they were entitled to their own ways which I should respect. Still, my stomach was roiling, and the green looks I was seeing on the faces around me showed I was not alone.

We walked back to Bearer and, when we were aboard, I told the pilot, "Upsalon Station."

I made sure my guests were comfortable, then I adjourned to my quarters and got some sleep.

I awoke to the feeling of Bearer docking. I washed, dressed and came out to find us completing docking at my birth at Upsalon.

We came on station and I took them to where I normally rented rooms near the school. As the lone female, Fio got a room to herself which I imagine she enjoyed.

I got them signed up. They would all take the combined Captain/Piloting class followed by some Space Combat Maneuvering. I got them all top of the line flight suits, chest comps and helmets. I took them to my favorite Gunsmith. We uprated the guts of their pistols and got new power packs for them. The Gunsmith wasn't up to Mandalorian standards, but he wasn't under Imperial blockade either. We bought Fio her first pistol. It was a compact DK model, similar to a DL but smaller and the grip fit her hand better. We took Fio and her new pistol to the tailor who immediately started making her an appropriate belt.

We then went to lunch and I passed out credit chips.

"Please buy anything you want." I said.

"Anything?" Fio asked.

"Anything." I answered.

"So, ships, real estate, anything?" Jojo said in a bemused voice.

"If you choose to purchase any planets or capital ships, remember management of assets can be a substantial burden. Beyond that, I remind you the Code clearly states we are not a materialistic Order. As the acting Head of Logistics and Accounting for the Order, unless you would prefer that honor?" I paused for a moment and Jojo vigorously shook his head, "I have changed policies on spending. Any Credits you can spend to preserve your lives or be better prepared, spend. Any Credits you can spend to improve the likelihood of mission success, spend. Are there any questions?" I asked.

They all shook their heads vigorously.

I then added more softly, "The well those chips draw on is pretty deep. Don't be shy. You probably could all use some clothes and personal things. Don't feel obligated to get the cheapest second hand. Buy nice quality. Buy things if they'll help you. If there's a holopad you want or some other bit of kit, get it. Don't do anything crazy. We may eventually need to buy a planet for the Order to be re-established on. If there ever is a true galactic rebellion, we'll probably want to pour every possible Credit into it. So, having wasted Credits on something stupid may cost lives. Does that make it more clear?" I asked.

They all nodded.

"Good, enjoy school."

Dr. Boll's Test four made us think we were almost there and Test Five, it worked. Yes, each test took over a month, but progress was made. Dr. Boll did some final touches and gave me formulas to have my droids be able to replicate. Before she left, I had my droids duplicate her work, it was good work. I had a paint and I had a cloth with Zillo beast resilience.

I visited Dr. Boll in her lab.

"You're work here is done. I suppose if you ever want to come back and try to improve your formulas, you'd be welcome, and I would make it worth your while." I said.

"I'll think about it." She replied.

"Unfortunately, to transport you from this place, I need to stun you. I apologize for the discomfort." I said as Shield floated behind her.

"Is this when you kill me?" She asked truly afraid.

"Please, Dr. Boll, if I wanted to kill you, I'd have just killed you. You will only…" and I stopped talking because Shield had stunned her. We quickly put the bag on her head and binders on only wrists and ankles this time. I had Shield carry her to Bearer. We then all boarded and were off for Nubia.

After some discussion, Dr. Boll had selected that she wanted to live on a coastal wine vineyard estate on Nubia. Nubia is a very pretty planet with high quality amenities. While mostly Human, the planet does have a substantial Bivalli community as well, which is isolated from the other handful of Bivalli communities, meaning there was a low likelihood Dr. Boll would be recognized. I had already contacted a local real estate agent, purchased a nice place and had it renovated to Dr. Boll's preferences. We landed near the main house and made our way into a nice sitting area in the garden. We unshackled the good doctor and removed the hood, arranging her comfortably on a reclining hammock chair with a bag containing her personal things set on the ground beside her.

After a few minutes she woke up.

"Welcome home Doctor." I said.

"Oh my, the place is real!" She said.

"Yes, it's real and I have no intention of causing you any harm. I really do hope you will come up with some brilliant ideas to improve the paint or leather then come back and work some more someday. That said, once again, I am a man of my word and I promised to release you alive and well paid. Here are your identity documents, including academic credentials. Please study them carefully. Here is a Credit link to a large trust fund that will make regular monthly payments to a local bank account and here is the Credit Stick for that account." I said putting the documents on a table between us.

"Okay." She said.

"I also have some gifts for you." I said.

"Gifts." She said.

I waved, and a top of the line cook/housekeeping droid rolled up.

"This is for you." I said.

"Okay." She said.

"and this." I said waving for my next gift.

Up walked an IG-100 MagnaGuard Droid.

"Oh my holies, now you're going to kill me!" She yelped.

I closed my eyes.

"Dr. Boll, once again, there are much less expensive ways to kill someone. Would I have brought you all the way here to kill you? Would I have purchased a housekeeping droid if I wanted to kill you? I have no intention of killing you. I have a substantial surplus of this type of droid. I'm actually worried about you. IG is here to protect you. I can't be here all the time to watch over you. He'll keep the riff raff away. Also, this model of droid is very intelligent and has already been pre-loaded with butler functionality. If you think he's here to spy or threaten, you can order him to stay in a shed or the other side of the estate. I hope you let him protect you." I said.

"Okay." She said.

"I wanted to take you to dinner in the nearby town, but if that makes you feel unsafe, I could just leave?" I asked.

"You can take me to dinner." She said.

"Good. It's my hope we'll always be friends and you will live a long happy life." I said.

My rarely used Mandalorian speeder came around and we all piled in and I drove us to the nearby town, mostly built around a local resort and tourism. Lots of nice restaurants.

We found a place. Had a festive and pleasant meal during which Dr. Boll actually seemed to relax. Then I let the IG drive us back to her place, I dropped her off.

"I know your number. I'll check in with you every so often to make sure you're okay. All right?" I asked.

"Okay." She said.

"Bye and thank-you." I said.

"Thank-you." She said.

"You're very welcome." I said and left.

I watched her through the IG every so often. At first, she remained nervous. Eventually, I think she got I wasn't coming back to kill her.

With Dr. Boll's work completed, I headed back to my fortress. I signaled my ship armor supplier that we would be ready to start taking deliveries. The armor supplier liked to cast armor pieces in large sections. This improved strength and structural rigidity which were good things. However, it made assembly another order of magnitude more complicated and if there was anything this ship build didn't need, it was to be another order of magnitude more complicated.

With the proof out of the paint for space environments, we were ready. Each piece of armor, which would also be the exterior hull, would have a layer of Zillo fiber paint on the outside, and since it could be formulated in any color, it would be in flat black. On the inside, every square centimeter of armor surface would have a layer of gravitic plate. This would include the two forward mouth fins and the two rear tail fins which would have positional leverage, and which would be used as sensors and cannon mount points as well.

A typical ship that might be thought of as highly maneuverable would have, perhaps, ten percent of her surface covered in grav plate. This ship would be covered almost completely and with the double efficiency type I had found in the survey. Should be very maneuverable.

I had the new leather material, so I made a new flight suit from that for myself replicating in color what I had previously worn. I also had a new green coat made. I had the paint stripped from my personal armor and had it repainted with the Zillo beast paint. I started a program to repaint all the droids. They would all get stripped, maintenanced and repainted. I had a jacket made for Bayo. For Jojo I had a jacket, breeches and boots made. For Fio I had a tunic jacket and breeches made.

We were prepping the armor pieces for my ship project here at my fortress, painting and adding gravitic plate. Once prepped, I would transfer the armor hull sections to Corbeen. Corbeen was completing assembly of the remainder of the ship in his yard. We wanted to do limited shake downs before the armor was applied. Once the armor was in place, it would be a beast to get at many areas and considering the complexity involved, the likelihood of problems was high.

We shook down for three weeks and found a huge number of problems which we fixed one by one.

At the ship yard, we checked the grav plates again one by one and made sure they were all well attached and functional. They were. My droids did good work.

While the work was ongoing, I leased the two docking ports on either side of my current port. One side was vacant, the other was convinced to move down station to another location for a free cargo run.

Then the day came. We started adding hull sections. I was more excited and happy than I should have been. It took six days to carefully add all the hull sections and she was done. Not to jinx anything, I flew out from Upsalon to the yard in Bearer and joined Corbeen and crew for her maiden flight. In an amazing turn of events, it went smoothly!

We did a sequence of tests pushing her harder each time. The huge amount of structure she had held her rock solid. We had also invested in triple strength conduit connections throughout the ship considering the difficulty of casual maintenance and how she might be used.

While a lot of the new ship's systems had been bought from out of system, a lot had been bought in Corellia. That didn't mean we bought from the bottom of the parts bin. High-end military and racing components filled her compartments. I found ship builders really liked their racing. The conduiting was high performance stuff with braided Durasteel. The fuel system was custom, which is not as amazing as it sounds, any ship that's being built custom will likely need a custom fuel system, but ours had been built by a racing shop to super high-performance standards including baffling to help avoid sloshing and mil-spec self-healing containment.

She glided through trials.

Finally, after days of trials Corbeen came to me and said, "There's only one thing left, we have to name her."

I had thought about this for some time.

"She will be named Revenge." I proclaimed.

That surprised Corbeen, but he shook his head and got the forms filled out.

Of course, that was not it. I took the entire construction crew, including Corbeen, to the Tipsy Squire. I also had my new friends along and some folks like Captain Pagot from the school.

In a quiet private moment, Jojo said, "Revenge is not part of the Code."

"I know. Maybe I'm just being figurative. Or maybe I'm not perfect." I replied.

It felt like people had been hitting the Jedi Order forever and to a Jedi, the Order is at least as precious as family. I wanted them to stop hitting us.

Jojo gave me a comforting squeeze on the shoulder, "None of us are perfect, we can only try and move that way."

I smiled and gave him the reply to the Catechism, "and be grateful for help when it comes."

Corbeen was getting up in years and towards the end of the Revenge's construction, he had been joined by one of his sons, Jotun, who'd done such a good job on the survey. I had a brief conversation with Jotun at dinner as well.

"So, you chose to leave the service and help your Dad with the family business?" I asked.

"Yes." He replied cagily.

I could tell there was more under there. All four of Corbeen's children had been in the service. The daughter had been a Lieutenant Commander when she had decided to marry a Captain and retire. Apparently, she now had four kids of her own and they were living in family housing at an outer system Naval Depot. The oldest son was working for me in Hope Transportation. The third son was still a Chief Engineer somewhere in the Corellian Guard Fleet.

"Really?" I asked.

"There's been talk of merging the Guard Fleet into the Imperial Fleet." He said.

"Is that a problem?" I asked.

"Not something I can say out loud." He replied with some frustration.

And there we had it. The Empire was leaking into places like Corellia as I'm sure they wanted to very much. The Empire would absorb the Corellian Fleet, and with it, Corellia's independence, dignity and Corellia's proud traditions of individual rights.

"Let me assure you, you can speak perfectly candidly with me. We still have a Senate and the tradition of freedom of speech is hundreds of years old. I promise to be candid with you in return." I said.

"Fine, I'm just not that happy with the Empire taking over everything. Saying that is getting more and more dangerous though, which is making me less and less happy. I signed up to serve Corellia and I was happy to serve the Republic. I didn't sign up for the Empire." He said.

"Be assured you are not alone. I have similar feelings. I think that as long as we don't take action and are discreet, we can at least keep open a small bubble of the freedom of speech that once lived. Besides, my physicians, solicitors and bankers have no secrets of mine compared to my shipbuilder," I said.

We both smiled.

"Also, I can't turn you in when I need you to keep making me stuff." I joked.

"Oh, what do you need?" He replied.

"I have this idea I want you to work on, I call it the 'B-Pack.'"

Revenge was armed to the teeth. She had six cannon that were each the equivalent of twin 30 mms and the two forward cannon were the equivalent of quads. She also had four quad torpedo racks.

One might think all torpedoes were equal, one would be wrong. On the Corellia marketplace there were torpedoes ranging in price from around ten thousand Credits each up to over a million Credits a copy. There were bargains, but generally, the more you spent, the better the torpedo, being faster, smarter and hitting harder. I had quite an arsenal of torpedoes, but most were Separatist surplus, which is to say, not very good, at the ten thousand and down level.

For Revenge, I made custom torpedoes. I had bought torpedo motors, essentially combination fuel, power cell, grav fins and thrusters on the Corellia market, the best that could be bought. I got my brains from the Binars, so they were about ten times smarter than anything available in Corellia space. The brains were intensely focused on striking their target once designated and were motivated with the closest thing I had ever seen to sexual desire in a machine. I got my warheads from another civilization that just seemed to be really into warheads. The yields on their warheads were about double what the best in Corellia space could give. Further, they had equipped the warheads with little energy shield tips that made them act as extremely effective penetrators, particularly good at penetrating shielding. They had been assembled by my droid workshop at my fortress. I had three of them in each rack. The torpedoes cost substantially more than one million Credits a copy.

In each rack I had something similar, but just a little different in one slot. I called them H Torpedoes. I had four. They were the kind of crazy thing one might come up with when one's mind has stopped worrying about costs for some time. I didn't intend to ever use them. There was no secret to how they were made. Once anyone with modest military experience saw one in action, they would know what I had done. I expected them to be devastating. However, once used, they would be an advantage for the tyrants and the powerful everywhere which I didn't want.

In addition to the H torpedoes, I had one other advantage I did expect to use eventually, and I expected it to be quite a surprise as well.

The Revenge was ready just about when Jojo and his crew were coming out of school. I sent them on a quick cruise for certification. I ran Bearer back to my fortress and swapped out the Vultures for now Zillo painted models and brought her back. Then I ran Revenge over and picked up my refurbished Vultures. Of course, Revenge had the same four hard points as Bearer.

I made sure Bearer's torpedo racks and the eight vultures on both ships had the custom torpedoes.

I also got one other job completed. I had been in a bad situation twice now with Bearer because she had no real medical capabilities. I had acquired five state-of-the-art medical droids and treatment rooms from Grievous' hideouts. I had installed three in my fortress. I had planned to install the last two but had never gotten round to it. So, I took the two surplus medical droids and care facilities and installed them one each on Bearer and Revenge. If something happened again, Burbur's successor wouldn't have to wait till we reached the Fortress.

With regular training done, my friends went on to a round of Space Combat Maneuver training. For the first couple weeks I let them use school ships.

Then I said to Jojo, "You could take Bearer?"

"You sure?" He replied.

"Help yourself." I said.

Once again, I joined another's Space Combat Maneuvering class as the opposing force. It would be useful for me, as always, to get some stick time and some training against a real person. It was particularly useful because Revenge was so new, and I needed to learn her ins and outs. Bearer is a very fast and maneuverable ship for her size. Particularly when compared against transports, not warships. She gave up very little against even against large snub fighters.

Revenge was much better.

I noticed some niggling details, like her yaw maneuverability was relatively poor. However, since most turns were based on a combination of pitch and roll, it was not a substantial detriment. But Revenge could turn much harder than anything short of a TIE fighter and she would walk away from any other space craft. Strait line speed, one has to remember, is based on both main thruster engines, and those Headons never seemed to stop giving, but also of power supply. The power supply on Revenge was much stronger than one might expect from a ship her size. Further, the ratio of mass and volume on Revenge committed to engines and power supply would make dedicated straight-line racers blush. Normally, in combat, I would be pouring maximum power into guns and shields and letting the remainder drop into engines. I couldn't do that with this ship. I needed to turn down the engines manually or I found I'd be leaving the engagement area. I then found with the combination of speed and turning power, if I started an engagement by flying straight at my opponent, once we had flown by each other, there was no way any other ship could come around fast enough. Between my turning ability and speed, I would get a good shot while the other ship was turning. The trick was to slow my ship down by manually adjusting the throttle at that moment, so I could keep them in the targeting reticle, while also aiming quickly so that I could pour the maximum amount of punishment into the target before they could maneuver away. The thing I found then is that the other ship had very limited options. If they tried to fly away, I could keep up and keep them in reticle. If they tried to go sideways, I could turn fast enough and add a little throttle to keep the guns on them. If they came right back at me, I could punish them and start the process again. It was great.

At the same time, it was interesting to see Bearer perform much differently with a crew. Having people to man the guns made her much more dangerous. Her ability to engage multiple targets and even targets that were directly in front of her were dramatically improved. That meant even if I got on Bearer's tail we would be exchanging fire and if she crossed my T, she could get multiple batteries on me simultaneously.

The school personnel had a good time playing with us as well. I think they found my odd ships interesting.

When SCM training was done, I had another sit down with Jojo.

"Burbur is home. Your training is done. My ship is complete. We are ready for action. What do you suggest?" I asked.

"In the war, it was my job to carry out orders. High Command, the Council, gave the orders so I don't have a lot of experience at strategic vision. I know I want to keep training Fio. We have to do something about that Hutt. Then, I want to keep striking at the Empire, but have no idea how." Jojo replied.

"I have some ideas." I said.

"Good, let's hear them." Jojo said.

"Fio is ready for the Initiate's Trial. However, she must be committed to separating from her mother before she attempts it. If she fails and survives, she could go home. If she succeeds, she has to know the cost beforehand. Do you agree?" I asked.

"That makes sense, but it's going to be a tough conversation." Jojo replied grimly.

"I have an errand I need to complete alone, but before I do, I'll run by Ilum. See where she stands. By the way, if something happens to me, Crucible and Professor Huyang are hiding on a rock in Ilum space." I explained and gave the best coordinates possible.

"Okay and I see to the trial and separation?" Jojo asked.

"You do the trial. We'll do the separation together. That's when we'll chat with the Hutt." I said.

"That sounds like a plan." Jojo said.

"You'll need to find a Jedi Shrine that hasn't been desecrated yet. While Fio is facing her Test, I want you to try and commune with the place. Explain it will be desecrated soon and we want to move it. If we can move it, we can reposition it to my fortress which I already call the New Temple. It will be safe there. Whatever you can learn, learn." I said.

"That sounds like a good idea. I'll do it." Jojo said.

"You ready to call in Fio?" I asked.

"Yeah." Jojo replied unenthusiastically.

We called Fio in and she came in jauntily. She was wearing the new clothing I had given them and had the DK in a belt holster on her hip.

Jojo motioned for her to sit down. She joined us sitting cross-legged on the floor.

"It's time for a big step in your training." Jojo said.

"Really? Okay, what?" She replied.

"When someone commits to study the Force and become a Jedi, they are supposed to sever ties to their family. Because of our circumstances, I let that slide, but I can't let it slide any more. You're about to face a big Test. You may pass. You may fail. If you fail, you can go home, or Master Kazan here will set you up anywhere you want. If you pass, you have to commit, now, to separating from your Mother and never seeing her again. You also don't have to take the Test. You can decline and end your Jedi training. You do have to make a choice." Jojo said.

I sat by, quietly giving moral support.

"Do I have to make the decision this second?" Fio asked clearly shocked and upset.

"No, we'll do it like before. Take the night. Meditate like I taught you. Try and sleep on it. Whatever decision you make, we'll honor." Jojo yielded.

"Okay. If I agree, I can never see her again?" She asked.

"You can see her one more time to say 'good-bye.'" Jojo added.

"Okay. Is there anything else?" Fio asked.

"Remember, if you choose to be a Jedi, it will be a difficult and dangerous life. You may have many more times when you face loss like Burbur or worse. You could go back to your Mom and her store and live in Korpluck Town. It's a nice place, plenty of worse lives to be had out there. You could live someplace fancy if you wanted, Master Kazan has plenty of Credits and he could set you up someplace nice. The shadow of the Empire is growing, but it might not get to you in your life. If you decide to take the Test, do it for the right reason. A Jedi must have the most serious mind, the deepest commitment. Do you understand?"

"Yes." She answered meekly.

"Then we'll see you at breakfast. Go." Jojo said.

The next day a red eyed Fio joined Jojo and me for breakfast at my favorite diner.

Jojo asked, "Have you made a decision?"

"Yes." She answered and was then quiet for a bit.

"You can tell us when you're ready." Jojo said.

"I've decided that I want to learn the ways of the Force and become a Jedi." Fio managed to get out like she was lifting a load of bricks to a high shelf.

"You understand, we'll visit your Mother just one more time, so you can say goodbye, but that will be all?" Jojo probed.

"Yes." She answered.

"All Jedi must break their ties to their families. It was something Master Zaemon and I both went through as well. Jedi belong to the galaxy, not a single person or group." I added, probably unhelpfully.

"I think you were buying some gifts for your Mom?" Jojo asked.

"Yes." She answered.

"Let's get a few more things. It might make things a little easier." Jojo said.

"Okay," she answered then said in a voice that was clearly coming from a throat that had been doing a lot of crying and was still a bit wobbly, "I don't know who she'll be more upset about, me or you. She thought she had you all wrapped up."

We all had a much-needed laugh.

"Your mother does make the best pie." Jojo volunteered and that started them laughing again.

I felt a funny wobble inside. I suddenly had real hope that Fio would one day be a great Jedi. Then like a wall of ice cracking that I hadn't realized was there, I suddenly had hope for our future. I had been without hope since the conclusion of the Clovis Point, but now I had hope again. It was so wonderful, I laughed with them.

I was sending Jojo off with two errands and I had two errands as well. My first effort was a pass at Ilum. I could have gone back before with Bearer but that would have made Bearer an object of even greater interest for ImpSec. Also, I knew I had to have some sense of self-control. I couldn't go to Ilum every day because I wanted to check on Crucible and Professor Huyang. I would love to get into Ilum space and fetch Crucible back to my fortress. Was my fortress safer than sitting on a cold dark rock in Ilum-space? If the bad guys ever tracked me down to my lair, all my defensive prep would only postpone the inevitable.

However, we now might have a new Padawan. I was very unsatisfied that she would miss out on all the experiences Jojo and I and every other Jedi had enjoyed in the Temple. I would so want her to have at least one experience that we had, namely building her own lightsaber with Professor Huyang.

Also, when I got chased out of Ilum the last time, it was by a single Venator Class Cruiser with a light compliment of older fighters. The Force had been with me, but they could have been reinforced since then. Having the stronger ship could be critical.

There was also a strategy I was developing. By bringing a new ship into Ilum space, they would assume I was someone different from Bearer's pilot. Their natural assumption would be that each ship that popped in would have at least one Jedi aboard. The more ships that came in, the more paranoid the Empire would become that there were Jedi still out and about.

If the Empire thought there were only three Jedi, they might not be terribly concerned. If they thought there were thirty, or three hundred? I could drive their paranoia through the roof. Make them over-react, over-garrison, over-secure. The more they did, the more I would spread them thin for my next kick in their private parts and the more they would over-play their hand and show themselves for the oppressive monsters they were. The sooner people realized how bad they were, the more resistance they would face.

I thought about all that as I traveled through hyperspace. I popped out well back from the star at the center of Ilum space. Ilum's star, a red dwarf, was only a small reddish white dot, almost indistinguishable from the star field behind it. However, my sensors lit up. One of their new Star Destroyers was orbiting bestride Ilum. I knew it could disgorge a cloud of their new, very fast, TIE fighters at any moment. I knew I had limited time. It would take them some time to fly to me, but that Star Destroyer could jump behind me and block my exit. My ship was good, probably many times better ton for ton, but I didn't want to go toe to toe with a ship that was forty times bigger than me.

My ship wasn't particularly scanner proof. There are a world of modifications one could do to make one's ship more elusive to sensors. Revenge really didn't have any of those. What Revenge did have was that she was painted flat black which meant she would be harder for the mark one eyeballs so many ships depended on to pick her out of the background. Revenge also had the special paint job. The Zillo paint was not proof against detection, but it did scatter scanning energy in a manner similar to weapons energy. Lastly, Revenge's very smooth lines also reduced scan energy return. The less scan energy returned, the longer it would take them to detect me, the closer I would have to be. If I flew by the Star Destroyer brazenly a thousand clicks away, there would be trouble. If I was careful, maybe less.

I did have one small stealth feature. Most ships had a registration beacon which would broadcast their identification. It was not supposed to be able to be turned off. I had a military switch on mine salvaged from Separatist gear, so my beacon could be turned off, as it was right now.

Since I knew Ilum was guarded, I sent a narrow beam coded signal to Jojo on Bearer.

I carefully reviewed the layout of the system so that I could keep rock between me and the Star Destroyer as much as possible. I would also want to only use engines when directly behind rock. Luckily, there was a big gas giant about two thirds of the way in. It would be making a lot of noise and casting a lot of shadow. I took three days to move in. It was really a waste, I only really needed to know one thing, was Ilum still guarded. I now knew. But I wanted to check on the planet.

Based on the way I wasn't being raked by TIE fighters, I figured I was being successful. In the end, I broke cover approximately four hundred fifty million kilometers from Ilum. The Star Destroyer picked me up immediately and started to disgorge a cloud of TIEs at me. I took a moment to tune my optical sensors on Ilum itself. It was a disaster. It looked like the planet was being strip mined and destroyed.

With those images I had all that I wanted. I turned and ran. The TIEs could probably out turn me with those crazy wings, but they were slow, so they fell back as I poured energy into the engines. Eventually, I had a clear shot and I had one of my callings cards eject out the back. Then I jumped out and headed to my second errand.

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	10. Chapter 10

**Legend of the Harp**

 **Episode I: Birth of a Jedi**

 **Chapter 10: Communion**

***Jedi Knight Jors Zaemon, Aboard Bearer***

With our flight training done and a new commitment from Fio we filed aboard Bearer and headed out into space. We left Corellia space and a few hours later emerged in a quiet, empty system. With Bayo at the controls, I took Fio to the Hogan's alley area and had her sit cross legged with me on the floor.

I began to explain, "It is time for you to face your first test. In the days before, we would have gone to the Temple on Coruscant. Obviously, that is not now an option. However, over the millennia, the Order has placed Shrines in many places, reflecting needs in certain regions at different times. Perhaps also anticipating moments like the one we now face. To complete your test, we must find a still functional, undesecrated, Shrine. That will be the first part of your test. Meditate, reach out with your feelings, find a Shrine."

Fio nodded, then bowed her head and began to meditate. I meditated with her. After some time had passed, she looked up and said, "I think I found it Dodger, we should go to the bridge."

"After you." I said.

We proceeded to the Bridge where she asked, "Bayo, can I have the Pilot's seat?"

Bayo looked at me and I nodded. He then got up and moved to the Navigator's position. Fio sat down in the Pilot's chair and I remained in the Commander's chair.

Fio laid in coordinates, and, in a few moments, we were in hyperspace. An hour and a half later, we popped out over a beautiful blue, green and brown jewel in space.

"Keep following your instincts." I said.

She orbited twice, scans showed a technological habitation of limited size on the planet, concentrated in the Northern hemisphere on a single continent. Fio took us down to a spot far in the southern hemisphere in some high mountains. She circled an area ever tighter and found a spot to land. It was a tight landing, but she executed it with skill and finesse. I was proud of her for that.

"It's near." She said.

We exited the ship and made our way by a narrow path on the side of a mountain until we came to a small widening which had a natural looking stone in the middle. The stone was roughly teardrop in shape, perhaps two and a half meters tall and a meter wide.

"This is it, but I don't see the opening." She said.

"Reach out with your feelings." I replied.

She looked at me quizzically but extended a hand and closed her eyes. I could feel her reaching into the rock.

"I can feel a latch, but I can't move it." Fio announced.

"We have to do it together." I explained.

I reached out with the Force joining my apprentice. I suddenly felt something like a latch, I pressed against it and could feel her strength merging with mine. It gave slowly, and I could hear the rock moving. After what felt like a long time, the latch stopped moving. We opened our eyes and there was no sign of the boulder. There was just a hole in the ground.

We looked down and saw a long spiral staircase. We descended the staircase many meters and finally found the stairway opening to a larger chamber which we entered. There were three doorways leading off on one side.

I felt I knew what I had to say, "You must choose a door and take that path."

"What will I find?" She asked.

"Only what you bring." I answered.

For a moment, it looked like she would unbuckle her pistol belt, then she clearly decided she would keep it on.

"You won't need that." I said.

"I think I'll take it all the same." She answered.

I watched her go through the left-hand door.

I sat on the floor and started to meditate. I was trying to reach out to the spirit of the place. After some time, it didn't speak, but I felt it was listening.

"We can no longer go to Ilum for Kyber crystals. If she passes the trial she should earn such a crystal. I have brought one that you can provide, unless there is another you would feel is better." I concentrated.

I got the distinct impression I should dig a small hole in the dirt near me and place the crystal in the hole. I opened up Athacalena's lightsaber and put the crystal in the hole and pushed the dirt over it.

I then concentrated again, "This place is not safe. The Sith have overrun the galaxy. Soon they will come here, and they will desecrate you. We have a safe place. We wish you to come with us so that we may keep you safe."

I knew the answer. I would have to face a test as well, to see if I was worthy.

I stood up, unbuckled my blaster and saber, then walked through the middle door.

***Jedi Youngling Fio Brown, Jedi Shrine***

I looked over my shoulder at Dodger and then resolutely walked myself through the middle door. It seemed like it led down another stone tunnel. I could leave my pistol. That was such a male attitude. Who knew what critters had wandered down here over the crazy length of time it had probably been here. Sure, he would have been fine, leave his blaster, but I'll bet he takes that light saber. And he was a guy! Yeah, not the tallest guy ever but he had a bunch of centimeters on me and a lot of years of combat training.

It had been a hard choice to face this test. I had been able to feel Dodger and the new one, Harp, and how much they cared about me. That Harp, I think he wanted to be friendly, but he had incredibly intense blue eyes. In that dark, wood colored face, they were even more intense. He would stare, and it felt like he was looking straight through me. He was going to take some getting used too.

Before Dodger showed up, my life had three possibilities. I was going to school and studying hard. If I did well enough, there were programs I could apply to off world. My dream was something like Republic Futures, but the odds against that were high. The next possibility was that I would stay in Korpluck Town and help my Ma with the store. Eventually, I would take it over. I was always afraid if that happened, I'd blow it, lose the store and end up in the third bucket, plucking chickens at the plant.

Then Dodger showed up.

At first, he didn't mean much to me. Yes, he made Korpluck Town safer and a little more civilized, so that made every decent person's life better. I also knew my Ma was sweet on him. She was clearly older, but most people in the town knew she was a determined woman who would get what she wanted.

Then the incident with the Zygerrians happened. I had been front row center, upset because they were tormenting what I thought was an animal. No one was listening.

Then Dodger showed up and he put a stop to it which became a gunfight. I felt something go sideways in me right there.

At first, I thought I might have a crush on Dodger. I mean, that's how it happens in all those romances my Ma reads and I read some too. But I examined my feelings and realized I didn't want to kiss him or touch him, but there was something and it was strong.

It was so frustrating! It was this really strong feeling, but I had no idea what it was! I knew I wasn't in love with him. I did think he was admirable for saving Burbur. There was something about the way he handled the slavers. I mean, I knew he had shot them, but he had done something else as well, but I didn't know what and I HAD to learn. The feeling was huge in me and the best I could express it was that I had to learn what he did when he fought those slavers, but I knew that wasn't exactly right.

I'd gone to him. Dodger knew what was going on right away. He knew the Force wanted him to train me.

It was still kind of weird though. Two twenty something guys…

Suddenly, the Zygerrians had me.

"We tricked her into thinking she could be, of all things, a Jedi. Isn't that hilarious!" Dodger said.

"Her, some nothing from a nowhere backspace townie, barely good enough to be an oaf bird plucker!" Harp said with disdain.

"That's how we got her to say 'good-bye' to her Ma so no one will ever look for her!" Dodger continued and then they all had a good laugh at my expense.

I was so scared, they were going to sell me to slavers and I was furious at them for mocking me and laughing at my expense.

I tried to reach for my pistol, but they had me and my pistol fell on the ground. Then one of the Zygerrians hit me with that power whip across the back. I'd say it hurt like fire, but it was so much worse than fire.

A deep breath. Calm. The pain was so intense. Hard to concentrate. No. Must be calm. So hard to be calm with this much pain. Might hit me again any second. CALM. This wasn't real. I could trust the Force. I could feel that Dodger and Harp cared about me. They wanted me to succeed. They wanted desperately for me to be the best me I could be.

The vision faded. My back still hurt. I picked up the pistol and put it back in my holster.

I kept going. I was in a hurry. What a crazy dream I had the night before, Zygerrians and Jedi, made me sleep late. That meant I was late for my shift. I'd already been late three times this month. If I was late again, they'd dock my pay and I wouldn't be able to make my rent. I'd have to make it up again scrubbing the floors on my hands and knees when I was already exhausted from work.

I got my smock on and punched in just barely in time. Plucking oaf birds was dirty, smelly, tedious work. I'd been doing it since my Ma died and the store failed when I was teenager. I'd probably be doing it till I died. It wasn't an easy life, but I knew there were others out there who had it worse.

There was a time, a time I thought I could be a Jedi. But they had just been teasing me. Who was I to think I could be a Jedi.

But no, that couldn't be right. I remembered studying. I remembered the movements. No, no that couldn't be true. I had been plucking birds for twenty years. I could remember each tedious, awful, smelly day.

But I could remember. If I could just breath in the Force, but the air smelled so bad and it was just a fantasy. No, I would breathe in the Force. My nose didn't want to, it had suffered so much, it smelled so bad. I breathed in the Force. I would be a Jedi.

I was in a stone cave hall and there was something bright and glowing before me. I went to it and picked up a small crystal. Then I was in the chamber again.

***Jedi Knight Jors Zaemon, Jedi Shrine***

I walked down that hall and suddenly I was in the Temple. I was standing in a small alcove off the main concourse and I saw them. I saw Anakin Skywalker leading an army of clones, striking down any Jedi who came before him. Padawans, younglings, he cut them down without mercy. I wanted to leap out and challenge him. In a straight up duel, Anakin probably had the edge, but if there was anyone who had a chance against him, it was me. A duel would be certain death because it wouldn't be some honor duel between Anakin and me, there was a legion of clones there. They would gun me down like a mangy beast. A deep breath and I stayed in my alcove. I knew, in a dream-like way, there was a door behind me and I could escape. I knew the Temple like the back of my hand. I knew there was no alcove where I was standing and no escape door. It was part of the test. I took the door.

I was sitting in my place of meditation. I had led a good life and long. I was the Master of the Guard for a re-established Order. Furin was the Grand Master of the Council and I was his right hand. Many of our students sat on the Council as well, like Fio. Others were Jedi we had rescued. The Order was nowhere near the thousands it had once been, but it was healthy and re-growing. It hadn't always been easy, there were moments we thought it would be impossible, especially at the beginning, but here we were.

As I sat and meditated I became aware the Temple was under attack. I summoned the Guard. I rang the alarms.

I went and watched. We were being overwhelmed. The attackers, they were too strong. We couldn't stop them! I would hurt them! I would not let them take it all away again, but no, that's not right. A deep breath and I was calm.

Everyone was running in every direction, nothing made sense. I walked purposefully to the front, drew my double saber and prepared to defend myself and my guard congealed around me.

We were dying, but as we gave our lives, I knew that we fulfilled our role, others would escape because of our sacrifice, there was no regret.

Suddenly, that battle around me was gone and I was standing again in the central chamber. There was Fio, holding the Kyber crystal. A flush of deep satisfaction went through me.

I looked around and a mound had formed and there was a maroon Kyber crystal the size of my fist in which one could see a faint glow.

"Take me." I could feel inside though it wasn't speech.

I picked up the Kyber crystal. It was warm. I then put it in a small satchel I had on my back.

As soon as I picked up the Kyber crystal, my comlink came on, "Boss, some bad looking customers just landed and are heading your way."

"Stay put Bayo, we're coming to you." I said.

Then I turned to Fio and said, "Let's go. I think there's trouble topside."

We headed up the stairs.

When we got topside, there were two vaguely humanoid beings, one male, one female.

The female, her skin an ugly shade of dark grey green, spoke in a menacing voice, "Our trap has borne fruit."

The male, his skin tone an even more unhealthy color, sneered and said, "Two more trophies for our Master."

The 'more' really bothered me.

They both ignited red sabers so any doubt I had they were Sith was gone.

My saber was in my hand from the map case in the small of my back faster than thought.

The male assayed some strikes which I easily parried and then he gave us an unseemly grunt of frustration. Then he and the female attacked together with no more success.

They had picked a bad place for a fight. The path was narrow with a chasm on one side and rock wall on the other. It made keeping them in a line easy.

He ignited a second saber from his single handle, making his a double saber while she backed off and tried to push me off balance with the Force.

I found it disturbing that he was using a mockery of the traditions of the Guard to attack me. I shrugged off her push and pushed her back which knocked her on her rear. Maybe it was my lack of internal harmony or the fact that he had two blades to my one, but he was doing better this time.

She yelled, "Scouts attack!"

I was holding the male off, but I was aware that Fio had drawn and was shooting.

I pushed the male back in time to see that Fio had shot down two mini-probe droids.

The female was up and charging me now with her own double saber. Fio turned and fired on her as I tried to say, "Fio no!"

The female reflected the shot right into Fio's upper right chest and Fio fell backward flat on the ground.

That settled my mind on what I had to do.

It might seem simple, to a non-Jedi, what I should do in this situation. Two Sith, bent on our deaths before me, fight and kill them. Except that's not the Code. A Jedi must only use the Force for knowledge and defense, never to attack. I would put the skill level of the two somewhere around Padawan level. Back during the Republic, it would be sticky, but I could likely subdue both of them. In theory, they would be questioned, probably revealing nothing, then be extremely dangerous prisoners. But it could be done. It would be wrong to meet aggression with aggression. The Code's standards in a situation like this were hard, but principals were not supposed to be given up when they became hard. The Shrine had just given me a lesson in that and I wanted intensely to set a good example for Fio.

That was then. Now there was a Sith Emperor ruling the Republic. There were no prisons. There was no Order. I had been thinking about the way he had said "more." That meant we weren't the first, there was already Jedi blood on their hands. It was not well known, but not every Jedi is a Master of the Blade or some sort of combat genius. Every Jedi that has reached the rank of Knight must have passed a Test of Combat, but that meant competence, not genius. After being Knighted, many would have no real need to keep practicing and developing the skill. In the Guard, we were expected to maintain and develop our skills. In the Order, my saber skills, measured on a scale of one to ten, probably ranked somewhere around eight. If I had stayed in the Temple and kept developing my skill, maybe someday, I would have been among the best the Order had to offer. There were also other Jedi in areas like L&A, Maintenance, among other callings who had not been more than competent for their Test and had not ignited a saber in years and those were the Knights and Masters. There were younglings and Padawans out there too. I could imagine Jedi refugees, desperately running and trying to find sanctuary, relentlessly pursued by monsters like these. Refugees who might not have the skills I had to defend themselves, desperately praying to the Force for help as these things mercilessly hunted them down and murdered them.

I was the living Force sent to protect those refugees, sent to protect Fio. There was no safe way to take them prisoner. If I failed to stop them here and now, it would mean our deaths as they would never give up the hunt. It would mean the deaths of those desperate refugees. The Code was precious, but it was not a death pact. There is no ignorance. There is knowledge.

They had both ignited their double sabers and begun some sort of thing that made the blades spin fast, as if that was supposed to be scary.

"Now it's four against one Master Jedi." She said with a mocking confident tone as they both started to close on me.

"The Path of Arrogance leads to only one place." I replied in a final warning, but, of course, they didn't heed me.

With a simple thrust I put my saber in the way of his which, because of the spinning, he could no longer control. That knocked him off balance and a simple reverse sweep meant he and his saber fell off the ledge in many pieces.

I turned to the female, raising my saber to high guard, holding it with both hands near my right ear. Her face had gone from sneering confidence to horror. She turned to run, but it was too late for that. I grabbed her with the Force and in a moment which must have felt supremely nightmarish, as her feet moved but she stayed stuck, I took a single step and swept. That was the end of her. I made sure to destroy her weapon as well.

I quickly pulled out and dropped one of Furry's cards.

I went back to Fio. Was she dead?

She had been shot in the upper right chest. That should be lethal, except she was still breathing. I checked the wound; most of the blast had impacted on her tunic. Clearly some heat and pressure had come though. She had a burn and there was a wicked bruise, but it hardly seemed life threatening. I picked her up and jogged us back to the ship. I jumped on the lift and we were in the cargo hold. I ran Fio to the new med-bay and laid her out on the gurney.

The med-droid looked at me and said, "Injured? Again? Do you ever not get hurt?"

I took off the Tunic since I didn't want it cut off. It was clearly something special that Furry came up with.

Then I ran up to the cockpit and jumped in the Navigator's chair. The ugly twins had clearly arrived in a fancy Imperial shuttle. We lifted off, then pushed their ship off the cliff. It settled badly at the bottom, then went pop.

"Back to the Ranch, Bayo." I said, and we were on our way to Furry's fortress, mission accomplished.

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	11. Chapter 11

**Legend of the Harp**

 **Episode I: Birth of a Jedi**

 **Chapter 11: Vampire**

***Jedi Knight Furin Kazan, Aboard Revenge***

Having leapt away from Ilum I was on my way to my second errand. During the Clone Wars many ant hills were kicked over, and many dark places were searched in order to find weapons which would give advantage to one side or the other. Things were found and brought out that had never been seen before and might never be seen again. I needed to accumulate as many of these oddities as possible that had the potential to be advantages. That was the reasoning behind why I had acquired the Zillo beast.

My hope was that there would eventually be a rebellion against this Empire. I could not imagine how such a rebellion could ever hope to challenge the Empire on even terms. That meant it would need as many edges as it could get. Ships and troops with blaster-proof armor would be a good start.

Toward the end of the Clone Wars, the Republic had acquired nano-weapons. They were in limited quantities. A clear strategic or tactical advantage had not been found for the weapons and a steady supplier was also not available. Their only use had apparently been by Jedi traitor Barriss Offee as a terrorist weapon against the Order. I could see how the use of clones had driven her mad. It was one thing for the Council to accept the clones at the beginning of the war, but constantly failing to demand change made them look more complicit and more corrupt. I understood, to some extent, why the Council had continued to use clone troopers. On the other hand, it had been wrong and, in the end, sealed the fate of the Order. I would have had more sympathy for Offee if she had been honest in her actions rather than trying to frame Padawan Tano, which was simply cowardly and despicable.

To me, it was another example of something with enormous potential that no one had pursued. The Zillo beast was a living promise of super armor. Yet it had disappeared into the bowls of Republic research. These nano-weapons had incredible potential. A single warhead could, in theory, take out a whole Star Destroyer. If I could find a steady supplier, it could be a major weapon for a rebellion, evening the odds considerably.

I once again donned my Imperial Commander's uniform. The nano-weapons were still being held in a low security warehouse on Coruscant. I felt a good first step in tracking down a source would be to have the weapons themselves. I forged the appropriate documents and landed near the warehouse.

I presented the transfer order to the warehouse clerk. The weapons were already loaded in shipping containers. I used my external grav bay to take them. There were only enough weapons to fill a few shipping containers anyway. Then I flew away. I took the weapons to my stash. If there was leakage, I didn't want Upsalon or the Temple harmed.

I pulled them out and examined them closely. They were kept in magnetic bottles for long term containment. Essentially, they were a kind of explosive. One could spread them on something, then, the nanites would convert whatever they were spread on to an explosive. With the proper frequency transmission, the explosive would detonate.

If I could introduce a canister of the substance to each Star Destroyer energizer on the production line at Kuat Shipyards, it could be remarkably damaging to the Imperial Fleet. I'd have to think about that.

I had been hoping for some attached shipping documents or other indication of source would be with the crates and weapons. There was nothing. It was like these weapons had emerged from nothing and just ended up in that warehouse. I had dug in every database I could and found nothing.

I started doing forensic analysis on the weapons and crates. The weapons' magnetic bottles had a unique mineral signature, but not one on file. Not a terrible surprise. They all had clearly come from the same place, which made sense. Unfortunately, the signature didn't correspond to any known system.

The shipping containers on the other hand, had come from Doshion. That was a veritable clue. The shipping containers also had serial numbers and a manufacturer. Seemed like a trip to Doshion was in order.

Thirteen hours later, I had entered Doshion-space. Doshion was an outer-rim civilization that made a living on light manufacturing and being a shipping transfer point, which explained the containers. I stopped in at a local station and topped off on fuel. I had plenty of Batampte food onboard, but I got a meal in their café. I also got access to some local HoloNets. It didn't take long then to track down the manufacturer.

Luckily, the cook/housekeeper droid was efficient because I would need to jump into my Imperial Intelligence uniform again.

A few hours later had me touching down on one of Kavi Interstellar's landing pads. I came off my ship and was greeted by what I expect would be considered an attractive female Doshi. I presented my credentials.

"We are happy to cooperate with Imperial Intelligence." The receptionist said.

"A brief review of your records should be all we need. We know Kavi Interstellar is a good corporate citizen of the Empire." I replied.

She was kind enough to let me review their sales records. The containers in question had been purchased by a Mu Kridek.

I quickly reviewed the HoloNets right from Kavi Interstellar which showed me he was in-system. I repaired to my ship.

I changed into my normal gear and started working on Doshion's networks. A little slicing, a little access from already compromised passwords and a little Force pressure on some other passwords and their planetary network was an open holo tablet to me. A little research and I knew Mu Kridek was a human arms merchant, not native to the Doshion system, but who had come here thirty-some years past. He had been right to the edge of legality a number of times and that likely meant over the edge a few times he hadn't been caught. He had purchased the containers in the right time frame to make delivery. He was residing in a small apartment whose rent was two months overdue near the star port in the planet's third largest city. He also was renting a pad at the spaceport at which his ship was sitting. His Credit accounts also showed he spent a great deal of time at a particular bar nearby.

The ship seemed to be a small freighter of local manufacture. A visual inspection by security camera showed a ship in poor condition, one might even wonder if it could fly. Port records showed it had been sitting for over two months. A couple false security flashes and the ship would be grav locked down. I also noted that his Credit accounts were low, those that were lines of credit were getting towards maxed out and minimum payments, were, in some cases overdue.

A quick hop and I was landing in the same spaceport Mu was parked at. It would be some distance, so I took one of my hover bikes to the bar. I parked outside, then Shield and I entered the bar. It wasn't the worst bar I'd ever been in. It certainly wasn't the nicest. Mu was seated in a rear corner booth by himself, nursing a drink. I went to the barman and ordered two ales and then went to the table.

Mu was a bit surprised when I sat down at the table.

"Uh, hello." He stammered out.

"Hello Mu, I'd like to buy you a drink." I said putting down the ales.

"Okay..." He replied somewhat confused.

"I understand you're something of an arms merchant." I continued.

"Whatever you need, I can get!" He said in a proud and practiced way.

"I'm glad to hear that. I have particular needs." I said.

"Glad to hear it, just let me know what you need." He replied in a bluff salesman voice.

"About three years ago, you sold the Republic a shipment of nano-weapons." I began.

"Sorry sir if you came a long way, no more where that came from, sorry." He said.

"I'm sorry to hear that. Still, I need to know everything you know about where you got them." I insisted.

"Afraid I can't share that. Confidential supplier. Insisted on anonymity." He said.

"I could make it worth your while?" I began to offer.

"No, no, very confidential that deal." He said.

"Let me put it another way," I began, "You're two months overdue on rent. Your lines of credit are overdrawn. Your ship seems to not be in flight worthy status and now seems to be grav locked down. You seem to have a substantial bill with the spaceport as well. I could fix all that. Further, I have a lot of business in the arms trade. I could make you a prosperous man. All I need is a tidbit of information."

"That," and he paused, "is a very tempting offer, but I promised confidentiality, and these are some very scary folks."

"I can understand that, and, should we do business, I would want to be able to depend on your discretion as well. Still, I must have this information. Is there anything else I might offer that could convince you?" I counter-offered.

"I'm sorry. No." He replied.

I answered, "Let me put it another way. I have everything I offered on the table. Plus, a nice bonus. If that is not enough, I can drag you out of this bar and give you to some specialists I have in truth extraction. Then my offer would be to let you die. Which you would find very persuasive. I can understand if you are afraid of the suppliers, but I can help you and offer you protection. If you're scared of someone, it really should be me right now."

He started to stand up in a gesture of outrage, "Now listen you…"

I used the Force to push him back down into his seat and cut off air to his throat until he shut up.

"Really," I said, "it should be me."

You could see the white all around his eyes now. Would I have him tortured to death? It wasn't to Code, but a bluff where he thought he might be tortured to death? That had been done many times. If he called my bluff? I would really hate to face that kind of temptation.

"Okay, you win. I'll give. I still get the other stuff, the bonus?" He asked.

"Yes certainly." I said reasonably.

"Okay, then…" and he started to weave a tale.

I stopped air to his throat again.

"Please, truth only." I asked.

Now I could tell he really was afraid.

"You win." Then he began to tell the truth.

"The Clone Wars were on. Arms dealers everywhere were making a killing. I had deals, but I wanted more. I was traveling around the sector, looking for places that had advanced civilizations but hadn't been visited in a while. I figured, if they hadn't been visited in a while, maybe there was something they would want to buy. Maybe they would even have something to sell. A man could make a profit that way. I found this world, immediately it gave me the creeps, but a young man seeking his fortune, he's hard to deter. So, I landed.

"I landed at what looked like the largest city on the planet and walked around. It was weird. The lights were on so to speak. It wasn't a ruin where the place had been blown apart by war. It wasn't like it had been left unwatched, the population evacuated or dead from plague. It was like there had been people there five minutes before and now they were gone. I just walked around. There was stuff lying around that might be valuable. Jewelry stores left un-minded. Restaurants with caf still brewing. No one there. My instincts were all screaming, 'Get the hell out!' but I kept going. As the proverb says, 'Where there is great danger, there is great opportunity for profit.' So, I kept going.

"I was there for a couple days. Just walking around, looking at things. I didn't touch anything. The only food and water I consumed were from my ship. Then I met a woman. She was beautiful.

'What are you doing here?' She asked.

'I'm a trader. I came to see if there was anyone who wanted to trade.' I replied.

'What sort of things do you trade?' She asked.

'Weapons mostly, but I'm flexible.' I replied.

'I would like to trade with the galaxy beyond. I would like more visitors, but I am in the minority here. The others fear the outside. They feel that if you learn our technology, you will come back to harm us. Would you harm us?' She asked.

'No, I'm just a trader. Maybe a sharp deal here and there. I just want to trade.' I answered.

'Since you trade weapons. I will give you weapons. You take these weapons into the galaxy, then buy wonders of the galaxy and bring them back. Is that acceptable?' She asked.

'Yes,' I answered quick and a little surprised, 'yes, I would be happy to trade on those terms.'

We went to a place that had a supply of cardboard boxes. We took the boxes to a place that looked like a cross between a lab and a kitchen. She then began to fill the metal flasks there from some sort of tap. As she finished filling the flasks, she would seal them and put them in the boxes.

'How do these work as weapons?' I asked.

'You pour them on something, then wait a bit, then broadcast a signal on a particular frequency, each bottle has the signal and frequency marked. Then whatever you pour it on will explode.' She explained.

'Okay.' I answered thinking that if this worked I would be a rich man.

"Then we took them to my ship. As I came out from loading the last box, I found the woman was being confronted by three men.

"I've never been scared of someone like I was scared of those men. When they looked at me, I thought they were demons like from the old legends. Maybe in my wandering, I had found hell. They were definitely very upset with her. They had not wanted her to be trading with me.

"I got one message very clearly, 'Go and don't come back. If you tell anyone about this place, you'll die.'

"I didn't need to be asked twice. I was gone.

"I sold the stuff to the Republic. I wasn't a patriot, I figured they would pay more and they did pay good. I paid off my ship and lived on that money for a long time. But I couldn't get more, and the Republic couldn't figure out how to use the stuff. I moved on to other business. Since the war ended, business has been dead. So that's the story." He finished, and he gave me the coordinates to the planet in question.

Then he started choking and spitting. My intuition told me I should leave. I got out of there fast. As soon as I cleared the door, I leapt on my Mandalorian speeder bike and I was away.

"Ready with the force field." I said to Shield as the bar exploded.

Shield got the deflector up a split second before the shock wave from the explosion hit us. The energy field kept us airborne as the bike bucked under me. I only held on by trusting in the Force. It was lucky that I had brought the bike, nothing else would have been fast enough and my lungs would have breathed fire.

We landed at the port and I stowed the bike back aboard. I made sure Revenge was fueled up and ready to go, paid our port fees and we left. I had promised to make good on Mu's debts, at this point, I was sure he was in a place where they were all fine.

I departed Doshion space and proceeded to the co-ordinates I had. I exited hyper space to find myself in some very quiet space. Normally, an inhabited system for any technically sophisticated civilization will have stations, ships moving about on various errands, generally some form of Space Route Traffic Control. There was no movement, no stations, nothing. I moved in and found nothing in orbit around the planets except the natural moonlets one might expect.

There was a single world, fourth from a yellow sun, that seemed like it would be temperate and habitable. I began to scan the surface. As per Mu's story, there was evidence of a vast, technologically sophisticated civilization down there.

As I scanned it, a message started coming over the comms, "This is a quarantine world. All landings are forbidden. Anyone attempting to land will be met with lethal force."

The message repeated over and over. There was no response to messages sent in return.

Well, if they didn't want me to land, there were other ways to do this. I charged up my harness, had the pilot take me down just inside the atmosphere and I jumped out.

I free fell for some time. Than as I approached the ground, I used the flight system as a parachute. Then let myself fall to a fast Jedi landing. I knew coming to this place was foolishly dangerous, but I needed every edge, and this was an edge. It might be impossible, but I was a Jedi.

I started walking about the city, it was as Mu described. Like all the people had just disappeared a moment before I arrived. After I walked for a few hours, a woman walked up to me. She was quite beautiful.

"You must leave. They are coming. When they get here, they will kill us both." She said.

"Then we should both leave." I replied.

"We would need a ship." She said.

"I have a ship." I said.

"It would need to be a very fast ship." She said.

"My ship is quite fast." I replied.

"Summon it." She said.

I pulled up my comm on my left upper wrist, "Pilot come get me, best speed."

Then I looked at the woman and said, "We could meet it faster if we flew up to it."

"I can't fly." She replied.

I extended my left hand, "Then climb aboard."

She leapt on me as I began to climb.

Suddenly three men were also flying up to catch us.

My lightsaber was in my right hand. As my left was busy, the second pair of blades stayed stowed. They started firing on us. I had no trouble deflecting their shots, but I pulled my blaster as well.

I shot the one nearest to me. It seemed to ding him slightly and only slow him for a second. I spun the power wheel with my thumb to max and shot him again. That seemed to get his attention more but didn't seem to slow him much.

She spoke into my ear, "His life is distributed, you must hit more of him."

I used my left hand to spin out the front dial, so I could hit a larger area. I shot him again, and my shot hit most of his torso and hips. That slowed him down.

Unfortunately, they flew faster than me. I could see the ship coming down to get us. I kept shooting and changing power cells. Two of them were flying further behind, but the most eager one managed to fly up close. I used my saber to cut him in half starting at his right shoulder down to his left hip. I expected him to drop. I could literally see daylight in the diagonal line I had cut.

He just started to flow back together.

Suddenly, the Force took control. I disassembled my light saber leaving me with the Kyber crystal in my hand and the half-disassembled saber in my pocket. For a split second, I looked at my Kyber crystal for the first time since I had gotten it on Ilum. It was an off-center triangle, very much like a harp. Then, without thinking, I stabbed it into the creature. I'm not sure what I expected to feel on my hand, but my fingertips felt like I had shoved them into a white-hot furnace. The rest of my armored hand didn't feel much better. The creature did not respond well, he looked like a Dejarik piece that was spontaneously destroying itself and melting. His friends stopped immediately. After a few seconds, he blew apart. I used the Force to catch my Kyber crystal and put it in my pocket. My hand still felt like it was on fire, but we got on the ship. They started firing at us and I yelled in my comm, "Take us to the Fortress."

Then I passed out.

I awoke. I was in my bunk. I felt profoundly unwell and I had no feeling from my upper right arm. She was leaning over me.

"You are dying." She said.

"Why am I not in the med-bay?" I asked.

"Your doctor robot cannot fix what is wrong with you." She answered.

"Then I will return to the Force." I said.

"There is still one way you might yet live." She answered.

"How?" I asked.

"If I make you like us." She said.

"You are creatures made of nanites aren't you?" I asked.

"We are." She answered.

"I would be like a droid. I might lose my connection to the Force." I said.

There was nothing more important to me than my connection to the Force.

"It's possible. There has never been a Jedi among my people even before the Change." She answered.

"Then don't do it. It's better I go back now." I said.

"I'm sorry, I can't let you die for me." She answered.

Then she leaned forward and kissed me. It was very pleasurable. Then I lost consciousness again.

When I awoke again. I didn't feel unwell, I didn't feel good. I did feel weak and tired.

She looked down at me and said, "The Change is failing with you."

"Why do I feel so weak?" I asked.

"Even in our bodies, not every cell does every thing. Some cells specialize in particular tasks, thinking, moving, protecting, seeing, smelling, etc. One task is generating enough energy to power your body. You do not have enough cells doing this. Many of your cells are set aside for another task I am not familiar with. Can you still feel this Force of yours?" She asked.

I reached out to the Force and I could, bless the Force, still feel it.

"Yes, I can." I said.

"So, you still wish to live?" She asked.

"Yes." I answered.

"Good I worried the change was failing because you did not wish to live." She explained.

"So now I'll get better?" I asked.

"No, you will still die. It will just be slow and painful." She answered.

"I see." I answered.

I reached out to the Force for guidance.

"You emptied my pockets of all devices, but left me dressed otherwise for this change?" I asked.

"Yes." She answered.

The Kyber crystal, please bring it to me." I asked.

"The piku crystal, the one you used to kill Mabong?" She asked.

"Yes." I answered.

She spoke, "The Changed of my world have experimented with many ways of trying to gain personal and group advantage. What we called the 'piku crystal,' we knew had the potential to super charge energy production. Instead, it caused us to explode and melt simultaneously. It would have been used more as a weapon except we were so afraid of it.

She picked up my Kyber crystal with a part of my disassembled light saber and brought it to me.

"Put it on my chest." I said.

"You wish to kill yourself quickly. I understand." She said and put it on my chest.

The crystal sank into my chest.

The others had not been able to harness the power and abilities of a Kyber crystal because they were not Jedi. When they put a Kyber crystal in their body, it generated too much power, and they exploded and died. But I was a Jedi. I felt the crystal getting too excited and too calm, but I could balance it, the way I balanced the energy in my saber. Suddenly, I felt fine.

I sat up. That did not feel like it had before. I suddenly realized, I was missing so many feelings I was used to. I wasn't hungry at all. I didn't need to use a lav at all. I had no soreness or aches. It was an empty feeling. At least, blessed be the Force, I could still feel that.

"You feel empty?" She asked.

"Yes." I answered.

"Take my hand." She said.

I took her hand and suddenly I was inside her.

On her homeworld, they had discovered nanites and they had been so excited. They could make many new devices and many things could be enhanced. Say a window: A nanites enhanced window would never get dirty, because it would clean itself. It would never get cloudy, because when the wind scratched it with grit, it would heal itself. The multi-layer gaskets that worked the insulation, they would always self-heal. Even if someone smashed it, the pieces, down to the smallest grains, would find their way back together. A caf pot could stay boiling forever, even as it steamed, more water would keep getting added, the caf grounds would be kept from burning, it could literally boil forever until drunk and then it would just make another pot from captured water and restored grounds. For a while, it had been a paradise.

Then someone came up with a way to use the nanites as medicine. That had worked well too. Previously intractable diseases and conditions could be cured. All sorts of aches and pains could be treated. A body could be kept in current balance, perhaps forever. Then someone had come up with a way that the whole body could be replaced with nanites. At first, that looked like the ultimate achievement. But then people started dying. Not everyone could survive the Change. Many just failed and died. Many lived for a few minutes or hours, their balance wrong, as mine had been, and then they died slowly and in pain. Others would seem to be doing well, and then a few days later, just melt. Very few would complete the transformation with permanent stability.

They might have stopped the transformations, but then people who hadn't had the Change started to die. It was found they had too many random nanites in their bodies. Slowly, as they leaned on the windows kept clean by nanites, wore the clothes kept clean and in perfect color and hang by nanites, ate and drank the food made by nanites, had the medical procedures conducted by nanites, their bodies absorbed the nanites and the nanites, without the right places to go and things to do, they destroyed the bodies they were in. There was no way to make new nanite medicines fast enough. There were too many nanites in the environment to purge. The only way to survive was the Change. So, everyone who wanted to live took the Change. So, few survived. Then there was nothing to do. They could have left the planet and tried to see the galaxy, but the majority were terrified that if outsiders learned their secrets they would invade and kill them, so they forbade any travel or contact off world.

There was a problem. There were no children. There was no way to procreate. At first that didn't seem to be a problem, with the Change, we seemed to have functional immortality. The problems of the past were gone. There was no need, no sickness, no death. Perhaps it had been a terrible path to reach this place, but finally, now we were here, perhaps we could have a utopia?

The problem was, there was nothing to do. At first no one noticed, they played the same old games, read the same old books, watched the same old vids. Then they became bored. All they had left were their politics and personal animosities and an eternity to nurse grudges. Soon we learned, there may be no way to have children, but there was definitely a way to murder.

There were never many, but then they found an interesting diversion, war, and then there were fewer and fewer. Animosities and grudges were sealed with hate and loss.

Then it came that there were only five left. The three, Sage Kyun and her. The three were all that was left of the party of isolation. She had been from the party of exploration. Sage Kyun had been one of the originals to take the change and had fancied himself a neutral moderator. He convinced the three not kill her, but she could feel their hatred seething just below the surface. She knew that everything they had been would soon be lost if they could not communicate and get help from the outside. The three were beyond reason and would hear none of it.

Then the trader had come, and she had made him the weapons. They wanted to kill her for that so badly. Sage Kyun convinced them to spare her. They would set up an automatic warning. No more ships would come. She knew the three would never accept it. It was a matter of time before their hate boiled over and they murdered her. There had been ships on the planet. They were smashed, but with enough time, she could put one together and flee. The problem was the three would know and the instant they sensed her activities, they would attack. Her only hope was that someone would come and now, she wanted to live.

The three cornered and murdered Sage Kyun and she knew her time was measured. The arrangement had been that Sage Kyun would not allow her to be murdered. That meant if the three attacked, it would be three on two. That meant a very high likelihood that at least one of the three would die. But Sage Kyun had insisted on not staying with her or letting her stay by him. It would not appear impartial on his part. So, he died for his impartiality. They had cornered him alone, when she was too far away to help, or perhaps she was not ready to die, for the pyrrhic victory of taking one of the three with her. She had instead chosen to live a bit longer. Three on one, the odds were she would die and all three would live. It was a matter of time.

Then it seemed as if it was too late, she could sense the three were coming for her. She would be dead soon. Then he had come like a miracle chance at life. The three had been too close. One who has not taken the Change should not be able to stop one who has. But he had done the impossible and his ship. It was fast enough to run away from them and into hyperspace where the remaining two would not follow. He had killed their leader, Mabong. She suspected the remaining two would never be able to muster the courage to try to leave the system but might very likely murder each other eventually.

"So, I know a lot more about you now. What do you know of me?" I asked with old fashioned words, having gained a new appreciation of Binars in the massive amount of information she had passed to me in fractions of a second.

She showed me that she had absorbed some areas of my life and emotions, but others, like my connection to the Force were too alien for her.

"I feel what you felt for the destruction of your Order. It is much like what has happened to me. Also, I am grateful that you came and rescued me at great personal risk. I will join you in your fight to rescue your fellow Jedi." She said with words, adding great solemnity and weight.

"Perhaps I was just seeking a weapon?" I asked.

"You were, until we met, then you only sought to save our lives and you valued my life as highly as your own." She answered.

"Isn't my continued fight too much like the feuds that destroyed your people?" I asked.

"No. None of the balances are the same. Yes, for now you are vastly outnumbered, but there is an endless galaxy out there ready to rally to your cause. There is space for goodness to triumph. I have lived in hope for many times your life span when there was no hope. I will live in hope now when there is true hope." She answered.

"I can't argue with that. Do you have a name I can call you?" I asked.

"You can call me Sky." She answered.

***Ti Bault, Mid-Rim World***

We stood there on the ledge on a non-descript little mid-rim world. It was a pretty, not heavily developed place and this ridge was in the middle of nowhere. Not even a hint of civilization nearby.

First, we had found the shuttle lying at the bottom of a ravine. It wasn't as easy as it might have sounded. We knew the Inquisitors were headed here, but we didn't know if they stopped or went on. Their beacon was operating weakly, which meant it was invisible from space when looking at the planet by most angles as it was lying with the remains of their ship at the bottom of a very deep, narrow crevasse. On a hunch from Gall we orbited the planet from many angles for a couple days, the whole time with me itching to be off, until we picked up the beacon's signal. We landed to look for it and found it in a spot where its twisted remains would be hard to salvage.

I rappelled down and found nothing but broken ship.

After that worthwhile use of time, we figured out where the ship had landed which was near where the sighting of our enigmatic Gozanti had sat. The sighting of the Gozanti is what brought us and when the two Inquisitors had gone missing, we'd been asked to look around for them as well.

The landing pad marks for both ships were clear and the scrapes where the Imperial transport had been pushed off the edge were there as well.

There were footprints we followed down a narrow mountain path till we got to a widening. Pieces of the female inquisitor were still lying on the ground with some dead birds around it. I'm a decent hand at tracking, but Gall could completely recreate the fight. He looked over the edge and we spotted the male in pieces at the bottom with some dead animals around him as well. Apparently eating the Inquisitors wasn't too healthy.

Then Gall picks up a metal card that had been hidden by dust. It was a duplicate of the one we found on Eadu.

"The Jedi and the girl we saw at Aram went down and came back up this hole." Gall said.

So, we went down. A long, long spiral flight of narrow, slippery, eroded steps later found us in a roughly spherical room with no features except for a small mound of dirt in the middle.

Gall knelt and sniffed.

"This is very strange. This was a Jedi holy place. It was not desecrated as I thought, it was removed." Gall said.

How exactly Gall had figured that all out, I had no idea. At the same time, I figured he was probably right.

We climbed back up to the clearing. This time I spotted one of the mini-scout droids. It was blasted, but it might still have something. I picked it up and put it in a bag.

Of course, that was when Gall spotted another of the damn things at the bottom of the cliff with the male so down I went again.

I collected up the second droid and some close up stills of the remains of the male.

We went back to Gall's ship and I went to work on the droids. After a few hours work I got playbacks from both. We got to watch, from two angles, the Inquisitors walk off their ship. We got some good looks at the Gozanti. It was definitely NOT stock and I would bet it was my pirate and our buddy from Aram. The Inquisitors walked down the same path we did to the entrance to that hole, but just as they were getting there, the Jedi from the station came out. He had some new clothes and a leather jacket, but it was our boy. I'm not an expert in the intricacies of the Force, but I would have to say Gall did better against this guy than both of these "Inquisitors" put together.

We watched the Jedi come out with the girl close behind him. He tangles for a bit with the two Inquisitors. The female Inquisitor orders the droids to attack. The girl shoots them.

"That's new. She didn't have a blaster at Aram station." I point out.

Gall nods.

One droid sails off the edge and its video comes to a very abrupt halt. The second, luck of all the stars, lands at the corner between rock wall and path and rolls so it's facing the fight. So, we get to see when the girl tries to shoot the female Inquisitor, the blast is reflected, and she takes it hard in the upper right chest and she goes down like a hover lifter with the power cut. That seems to piss the Jedi off and he just handles the two of them after that. The male goes over the cliff in pieces. The female, he holds her while she tries to run away and cuts her in half. Whoa. Then the Jedi drops the card and goes and checks on the girl, then picks her up and carries her away. Presumably to the Gozanti. The video footage shows another hour of empty mountain night before the droid completely collapses. One does hear the Gozanti take off and the transport go over the side.

"This is interesting. This guy never made it to Eadu right?" I ask.

"I don't believe he did." Gall answered.

"So, someone else dropped the card on Eadu."

"That must be the case." Gall said.

"So, we have two card droppers." I said.

Gall nods amused.

"This will move the Gozanti to the top of their queue." I say. 

"Enjoy writing the report." Gall says ever so charitably.

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	12. Chapter 12

**Legend of the Harp**

 **Episode I: Birth of a Jedi**

 **Chapter 12: Declaration of War**

***Jedi Knight Jors Zaemon, New Temple***

We got back to Furry's station, the "New Temple" as he liked to call it and landed without incident. This ship of Furry's, Bearer, was really something. She had remarkable solidity considering how fast she was. Fio was feeling better, clearly sore, but she'd survive and learn not to shoot at Sith holding lit sabers.

We were met by an IG-100 MagnaGuard droid who greeted us, "Welcome back. I am programmed to be your station butler. If there is anything I can do to make your stay more pleasant, please ask. If you'll follow me, I'll lead you to your quarters."

"Lead on," I said.

He led us to quarters which were large and pleasant. They were near the exercise area. There was a large mess area nearby which was well stocked with food. Safe, secure, maybe a little boring. I was starting to miss Korpluck Town. We all started by getting a good night's sleep.

In the morning, over breakfast, I pulled out the pieces of Athacalena's fully disassembled lightsaber.

"In the days before, after you had achieved your Kyber crystal on Ilum, you would have worked with Professor Huyang on the Crucible to create your own unique lightsaber. Unfortunately, the Crucible may still be alive, but is not where we can get at it. So, you'll need to assemble your lightsaber without it. I also don't have a wide variety of saber parts, but I do have this complete set and it is a pretty good set." I said putting the parts on the table in a tray.

"I have to assemble the parts?" Fio asked.

"Yes." I replied.

She immediately reached for the parts with her hands.

"Unfortunately, it doesn't work that way." I said, and she stopped.

"You have to assemble the saber with the Force or it won't work." I demonstrated by lifting and moving a few pieces with gentle Force touches.

Fio did her best. She could barely move one bit in a wobbly way.

Fio had made amazing progress. Most younglings would have had six to ten years before they faced the Initiate Trial, which she had passed. She had only six months of training. In those months, she'd learned to meditate, to move, to wield a saber with some skill. She'd also, on the side, maintained her studies, studied the Classics, learned to fly a starship well enough that she had a Captain's and Pilot's certification, not to mention how to handle a blaster. However, I realized, some things had been missed, including some basic control of the Force.

"Leave the saber here for now. Let's work on some other things." I said.

I took her for some warm ups and a run through the training area and around the station.

We got to a spot where there were some exercise balls.

"Try to reach out and move the balls like this." I said lifting three of the balls with the Force and starting to juggle them. Then I put them down.

She lifted one ball very uncertainly and the ball wobbled.

"Do not try. Do or do not." I said.

"What does that mean?" She said, dropping the ball.

"It means commit yourself to the task. Believe that you will do it." I said.

She tried again, and it was better, less wobbly.

I sat down cross legged and meditated while she worked. There was no speeding this up. It was the sort of thing we had done as younglings, trying and failing a thousand times. By the time we went to Ilum, we'd be able to hold all the pieces of a saber and assemble them. Fio was struggling with two balls. It would come.

I knew Furry's errands might take longer. Fio needed this time and this place was nicely distraction and danger free. Perfect for the task at hand. I had Furry's initial message telling me Ilum was off limits. I'm sure he was on his second errand. Hopefully, he wouldn't die.

Bayo spent his days relaxing, doing a bit of practice, watching holovids, but basically getting a bit of leisure like he had probably never enjoyed in his life. I spent my days running and exercising Fio, trying to teach her to use the Force, to let it help her. Meditating. Learning to move various objects with her mind. Since Furry had some training sabers, we practiced with those as well, though less on technique and more on using the Force. It was slow going, but she was improving one small bit at a time.

I lost count of the number of times I said, "A Jedi can feel the Force flowing through them."

On one occasion, as we ran through a hangar where Furry kept large industrial droids, I jumped the three meters onto one and she stopped.

"How did you do that?"" She asked.

"I didn't try." I answered.

I jumped down and said, "Lift the droid."

She looked at the droid and back at me and said, "There is no way."

I lifted the many tons of droid into the air.

"Do you think we can do this because we're strong? Because the Force is just a handle? I can do this because the Force is strong, it is a powerful ally. Your limits are what you choose. Unchoose them. Now do."

I put down the droid. She reached out to it and it began to wobble.

"Well, that's something." I said and started us running again. My goal was to push her more and more to get comfortable with letting the Force be part of what she did.

***Jedi Knight Furin Kazan, aboard Revenge***

I got up from my bed feeling how different it was and still the same.

"It takes a while to get used to the change." Sky said.

I looked at my hand expecting to see burned fingers, but my fingers were fine. I tried to pull off my gauntlet, but it wouldn't come.

"Why won't my gauntlet come off?" I asked.

"I removed your devices, like your weapons and commlink, but I left your clothes and armor on you. They are now part of you and your persistent self-image." She answered.

"So, they're stuck on me forever?" I asked.

"No, rather than trying to pull it off, imagine it's not there." She answered.

I imagined, and the gauntlet seemed to become part of my arm. I imagined some more, and suddenly, I was in my night clothes, then back in day clothes, then in my Imperial uniform. I stood before the mirror and with no help, became the Aqualish Speckled Slug then a Huk Whip Toad. Then I became myself again.

"I see." I said. Then I asked, "Do we eat, drink, sleep?"

"We don't have to, but we can. It's not as pleasurable as it was before the Change. You don't need to use a lav, but you can pretend to if you want. Your muscles won't need exercising. You'll find you're much stronger than you were before and very solid." She explained.

The Mandalorian armor and the Zillo paint had become part of me when I changed. I could now feel and understand their structure. Without much effort, I could extend the same coverage to my whole body. She had taken off my helmet, but I could make one for myself or not. I had worn the helmet because it was practical, but it had always been uncomfortable, so I left my head bare for now. I went and found a loose bar of durasteel that was two centimeters thick and without calling on the Force, I bent it in half. I found a pair of binders and broke them open. Then found another pair and just flowed my wrists out. Clearly there were some advantages to this, but it was a big adjustment.

I went to my exercise area and practiced with my remaining saber. I could move like I had before, but again, it was different. With human flesh, it was always a struggle to have one's form be perfect, but with my body now, my feet always went where they were supposed to, my arms, everything. I could execute in a perfect, mechanistic way every time, but I could also still reach out to the Force which made me feel the Kyber crystal in me, a practical source of great power, but also a spiritual heart and connection to the living Force.

I didn't know what I was going to do about my saber, it was disassembled and without a Kyber crystal.

In some ways, being disconnected from material things would be good. In many ways, that was the Code. There were Jedi who spent their whole lives fighting the temptations of material possessions and desires. On the other hand, I liked a good meal, the taste of an occasional drink, a good spice stick. There was pleasure to be had in lying down in a good bed to get a night's well-earned sleep. There was also virtue to be earned in the self-deprivation which I would have no longer.

"Can we still do the things that men and women do together?" I asked.

"Perhaps you would like me in another guise?" She asked.

I was about to say no when she changed herself to look like a native of my homeworld. She had skin of polished rosewood and all four arms. Her hair was red, like brilliant autumn leaves, like my mother's. Her eyes were still the same purple they were before. She was quite beautiful.

Then she said, "What you did before, you can still do, but it won't be as satisfying. However, we can do this." She said as she came forward and our bodies merged. It was not sex, it was so much more intense and intimate and incredibly pleasurable.

When we finally pulled apart, I was actually pleasantly tired. I was worried though, because I knew I was now intensely attached to her.

***Jedi Knight Jors Zaemon, New Temple***

We were still working on being able to control the Force when Furry got back. Fio could hold one object fairly well. She was better at running and jumping. Still nowhere close to being able to assemble her lightsaber. We were making progress.

When he came down the lift from his boat, he looked different. He wasn't wearing his helmet, which could just be he figured he wouldn't need it here. His armor chest piece was smaller somehow. He wasn't wearing his bandolier. Made him look less bandity, more grown up. Still had that crazy gun and that spooky floating droid.

I greeted him.

"Let's have a council, it's good to see you well. Is Captain Bayonet also well?" He asked.

"He's fine." I answered.

"Glad to hear it. Should he be involved? It's up to you." Furry answered.

"Probably makes sense right now. His rear is on the line as much as ours. He's also a smart guy, might have some good ideas." I answered.

"I trust your judgment. I hope you won't mind if Shield joins us? Can we all meet in the main mess?" He asked.

"Sure, I'll get Fio and Bayo and meet you there. Do you need a few minutes to rest?" I asked.

His weird answer was, "Unfortunately not. I'll meet you there."

Bayo, Fio and I got to the mess area to see Furry standing by the big holodisplay with that spooky floating droid of his.

"Let's start by hearing what happened to you." He said.

Made sense, so I gave a description of the events.

"So Fio passed her trial and gained a Kyber crystal?" Furry asked with obvious pleasure.

"Yes, she did." I answered and could see her blushing and hiding her face in a way that would have been unseemly in the Temple but seemed happily natural here.

"And you convinced the Shrine to relocate with you here?" He asked.

"Yes." I said with appropriate decorum.

"I don't think I can remember hearing of a similar feat. That is truly a remarkable achievement. Since you have rapport with the stone, you should probably take the lead in settling it here." Furry suggested then said, "Any way I can help or support, just let me know. We'll make training Fio and settling the Shrine our top priorities for now."

Furry paused for a moment then asked, "So you dealt with these Inquisitors?"

"Yes." I said.

"I think you made the right choice. Sparing them would have felt like the Code, but you were right. Withholding your saber that night would have been placing it in the back of one of our few fellow Jedi tomorrow. Your actions were fully under the Mandate of Protection. I'm glad that jacket worked out." He said.

"By the light of the Force, how did you find that stuff?" I asked.

"I told you I had the Zillo beast. My research on it has borne the fruit one might have always imagined, and I have shared it unstintingly with all of you." Furry said.

"Why didn't you tell us it was blaster proof?" Fio asked astonished.

"I would have preferred you not be shot. Putting that stuff on doesn't make you the fabled beast, it just helps you soak up a hit or two. Don't depend on it." He replied.

"So, what have you been up to?" I asked.

"I wish I had gone first, your news is so much better." Furry answered and then continued, "My first errand was to Ilum to see what the lay of the system was. First, as per my coded signal, it's still guarded."

Then Furry stopped to put a short holo clip with a Star Destroyer presiding over Ilum.

"So, no effort would be possible to go to Ilum to get a new Kyber crystal. Further, no effort would likely succeed to withdraw Crucible. For anyone in this room, the location of Crucible is a secret, without specific coordinates she would still be hard to find. I was not able to positively verify her continued presence, because I couldn't get to that part of the system. I did waste quite a bit of time to get close enough to Ilum, so I could get these images." Furry lectured then put images on the holo showing Ilum was being horrifically strip mined.

"With that I proceeded onto my second errand. I went to Coruscant and stole the nano-weapons that were left." Furry reported matter of factly.

Bayo interrupted, "You went to Coruscant and stole weapons?"

"Yes, my goal was to identify the source of the nano-weapons, see what else could be gained and see if any strategic advantage could be gained. I used the weapons to trace back to the nano-weapons maker's homeworld. I discovered they are an accursed race on the verge of extinction. The use of nano particle tools were primarily responsible for their death. I have the weapons at my stash, I feel we should destroy them, but it must be a group decision. I could probably smuggle them into the Kuat drive yard and sabotage a long line of Star Destroyer engines. There are potential terrible consequences for doing it. We must decide.

"There is something else. I saved one member of that doomed race. She resides on the Revenge right now." Furry added somewhat embarrassed.

Fio burst out, "She's on the ship right now, why doesn't she come out and meet us?"

"She's shy." Furry said.

"Can you vouch for her? Your trust is putting all our lives and plans at risk." I asked matter of factly.

"Yes, I can vouch for her." Furry said.

"Then done. When she's ready to meet us, we're ready to meet her. Please let her know." I said.

"Thank-you, I will." Furry said, "We should proceed on settling the Shrine. I think Dodger and I should speak on this privately."

I nodded to Fio and Bayo, then they left. Furry nodded to the spooky droid and it floated off.

"Tell me how you convinced it to come with? I am astounded." He said.

I explained what I had been through.

"It's like some higher-level test. Should we call you Master now?" Furry said.

"The rank of Master was never conferred by some test, it was conferred by the Council. We're as close to a Council that remains. I suppose if we want, we could declare ourselves Masters." I answered a bit sadly and sarcastically.

"I'd like to hope that there are a least a few more of us out there. If we could only make contact. Are others hiding out in back space locales like you were? Are there some that have built armies and fortunes?" Furry asked sounding a little sad and lost.

"Probably not too many who've built up all this." I said waving around.

"I wish we could find and help some of the others." He said with a bit of frustration.

"I had an idea on that." I said.

"Yes?" He asked hopefully.

"We could spend some time traveling around Hutt space and we could look around. I figure a lot of Jedi would have wanted to get out of the Republic fast like me and that would have been the closest way to go." I said.

"Makes sense, but wouldn't ImpSec have gone through by now?" He asked.

"Maybe, but they can't see a person's connection to the Force." I said.

"That does make sense. Hutt space isn't that big, and I learned a few tricks in Intelligence that might help. We can have a look around right after we go have our chit chat with the Hutt." He said with some hope.

"That's the spirit. What's our next step?" I asked.

"I want that Shrine settled. It may seem silly to rush. Our next need for a Shrine is probably years away. But I've heard stories where Jedi used Shrines to communicate over long distances. Also, some things happened to me on the nano world. I feel it would help if I had a better place to meditate." He said and at the end he sounded sad, like something bad had happened on that nano-world.

"Are you all right? Are you sick? Is there anything I can do?" I asked.

"Help me settle the Shrine." He answered more enigmatically than I would have liked, but it would have been rude to pry more.

So that found us with me holding the Shrine's Kyber crystal in both hands and trying to follow where it seemed to lead me. I had started by picking up the crystal, moving it, holding it, concentrating. Then I realized I had to hold it out with both hands straight in front of myself. Not hard to do for a minute, but after a short while, the heft of the stone made the arms burn. I was only saved by the endless hours I had poured into saber practice. I followed where the crystal led and eventually I was standing at a wall in a corridor. It was a typical wall in this place, a combination of polished reddish tan granite with silver metal veins flowing through. Furry and Fion were right behind me in case I needed anything.

Suddenly, the wall opened up and flowed and I walked forward. We walked for a long time, I'm not sure exactly how long because I wasn't looking at the chronometer on my commlink, I was focused on the crystal. After a while, I became exhausted and I handed the crystal to Furry. He continued carrying it forward for a long time as well. Then Furry became visibly exhausted and handed the crystal to Fio and she carried it forward and again we went forward. When Fio became exhausted, she handed the crystal back to me. I carried it the second time only a short distance further before we came to a stop and the hallway that was being created, roughly two meters in diameter and unlike Furry's work, which looked polished, this hallway looked like water that had flowed and then frozen. Suddenly the space around us opened up in a sphere. It felt like I had already run with a double pack all day, but as the space opened, it felt like I was being forced to sprint. Fio and Furry put their hands on my shoulder and lent me strength or I wouldn't have made it. Then at the base of the space, a small mound grew, and I placed the crystal gently upon it. Then the crystal sank into the ground. There was a whorling of colors like some psychedelic sand storm and we were standing on an earthen floor.

I took the initiative to put my hands together, which Fio and Furry copied. Furry was kind of funny putting two set of hands together. Then I said, "We welcome you to your new home." Then we bowed.

Furry took out a pot of what looked like Kyber crystals, put them on the ground and the pot sank.

"I would like to stay and meditate if you don't mind." Furry said.

I was exhausted and dehydrated and beyond hungry and I could tell Fio felt the same.

"We'll head back. Come back when you're ready." I said.

All he said in return as he sat on the floor cross-legged was, "Thank-you."

We turned quietly and left.

***Jedi Knight Furin Kazan, New Temple, Shrine***

I sat down cross legged on the new earth and as I began to meditate, I could hear and sense Jojo and Fio leaving back down the new hallway.

After meditating for some time, I could feel the place, it didn't speak, but there was a question, "Why was I here?"

The question made sense, having been through my own Initiate Trial and Test of Spirit, I didn't have much reason to come to such a place unless I was bringing my own apprentice. I had no business there. I focused my thoughts as best I could and concentrated back, "I have been through a major change. My light saber no longer has a Kyber crystal. I would know if I'm on the right path."

The feeling flowed back and forth between me and the place for some time. Then suddenly my eyes snapped open and there was Master Yoda sitting before me!

"Master Yoda! Are you still alive?" I asked.

"Alive I am." He replied in a patient voice.

"Where are you? Are there others? You could come to us or we could come to you?" I asked, perhaps not as organized and decorous as a Jedi Knight should be.

"Revealed to our enemies would I be if to you I came. Come to me and your work you will not complete." He answered.

"There are three of us here, are there any others with you?" I asked.

"No others with me, but where others are, I do know." He answered.

"We are secure here. Are there others we could help?" I asked.

"Safe are we, but if others come who need help, to you I will turn." He answered.

"We would be honored." I answered.

"Well have you done to move this Shrine to a place of safety." Yoda complimented.

"We all contributed, but Master Zaemon was most responsible." I said.

"Always so quick are you to place credit elsewhere. But now I sense help is what you need. Not a danger from an enemy or a wound of the flesh, but a question of the Spirit do you face." Yoda pronounced.

"My flesh has been replaced by machine. Perhaps I am not alive. My lightsaber has no Kyber crystal. Perhaps the Force is telling me I no longer have a soul and I should return what is left to the living Force." I said, with more bitterness than I intended.

"So, a test you would ask. Then pick a door, face the challenge, then come back healed or become part of the Shrine." Yoda said, not sounding pleased and faded.

I looked around and now saw there were three doors. I stood up and walked towards them. I suspected most would go through the center door, many of the rest would go through the right. I found myself going through the left.

As I walked through the door, I was in the mess area. Maybe this was a fast return and I was simply being rejected? I could see Fio, Bayo and Jojo sitting around a table so I walked towards them. As I got closer, I could hear Jojo talking, "Something is just wrong with Furin. He was always a strange bird, but now he's worse. We'll take Bearer and get out of here before he comes out. Then we'll never have to see him again."

"I was so wondering how long you were going to make us hang out with that loon!" Fio said.

"I don't like any of you Jedi, but he's just nuts. All he's good for is money and we already have these chips." Bayo agreed holding up the chip I had given him.

I was begging them with tears in my eyes, without dignity, "Please, please don't leave."

I was trying to wave at them and say something, but it's like they couldn't hear or see me. I realized I was invisible. I was some sort of ghost. As they got up to leave, I was on the floor saying, "You don't have to go, I will."

As I lay on the floor, with the three of them leaving the mess, I realized, "If I am alone, I will be alone. I can still help others. I can still save lives."

Suddenly, I was back in the tunnels beyond the doors. I ran into a series of simple wooden doors. I'd turn the latch and walk through and there would be another door. Soon I was just opening and walking through the doors as quickly as possible. Then suddenly, I had walked through a door, and it wasn't another door, but empty vacuum. My left foot was half on and half off the threshold. My right foot was out in the vacuum. My right hand was on the door latch trying to hang onto a wobbly door. My other hands were in space. As I wobbled, I noticed I was skeleton. Clearly, I was dead. In front of me, the glow I had originally assumed was a star, I now realized was the light of the living Force and it was calling to me, drawing me to it with a warm pleasant breeze. I could smell the flowers my mother had grown on long, warm, moist spring days. I could just let go of my striving and flow away.

Two pairs of hands grabbed me from behind and pulled me back. It was Sky. I could hear her voice, it was unreal and in a strange way, more real than anything around me, and she pled, "Don't leave me alone!"

I was still teetering, and she said, "You still have much to do for your galaxy, for your Jedi, for me."

As she said, "for me," I found myself turning around to embrace Sky.

Then the door to space was gone and I was in a hallway. There was a Kyber crystal. I picked it up and suddenly I was in the main room of the Shrine. I looked at the Kyber crystal, it was round, flat and had two protrusions on one side like horns. Its shape reminded me of Revenge. It was too dark to get a sense of color, particularly in the dim confines of the Shrine.

I had brought all the loose stones from the armory and given them to the Shrine for safe keeping. It would have been simple to just take one, but that would have felt like stealing. I also had been sick at heart and needed an answer.

The funny thing was, I hadn't made an inventory of the stones before I gave them to the Shrine, but I didn't remember seeing this one. Wouldn't it be funny if the space rock I had picked by chance actually had a deposit of Kyber crystals? I'd already done a lot of digging, but no crystals had come up. Maybe it hadn't been in the right place? I dropped the crystal in my pocket with my unassembled light saber.

I put my hands together and bowed. Thanking the Shrine for it's efforts and it's wisdom. I walked out of the Shrine and walked down the hall back to the Temple. When I passed into my carved hallway and looked back, the wall was unmarked. If you didn't know it was there, you'd never know it was there.

My guests had not fled the base. Bayo was watching HoloVid while eating a ration bar. Jojo and Fio were in their quarters, presumably getting some rest. I walked to the Revenge. I wasn't sure if I would ever need quarters again, but if I did, for now they would be on Revenge.

Revenge's lift came down for me as I approached. I stepped on allowing myself to be carried into the ship. Sky met me right there at the lift.

She immediately grabbed me and held me. Then she whispered into my ear, "I was so scared you were going to leave me."

Then she pushed me back to arm's length, holding my shoulders and said, "You scared me to death that you were going to leave me!"

Then she smacked me across the face.

Then she went back to hugging. I hugged her back and said, "Definitely not leaving."

Then we merged again.

After our time together, I was not at all tired and I suspected that Fio and Jojo would need a few more hours. So, I went to work.

I sat down at my station. I didn't really need to sit anymore, but the station had been designed that way. I had expanded my roster a bit with Revenge. My office was now a large space. I still had my three shipping tracker droids and my three financial trackers as well. I also now had three walls of top of the line Binar Thinking Machines.

Thinking Machines are essentially similar to droids. One could describe a droid as a Thinking Machine with a mechanical body. One could also describe a ship like Revenge, Bearer or the vast majority of vessels who plied the space ways as droids, as they would all have a Ship's Brain, a kind of Thinking Machine. Ships were just droids that had a ship as a body rather than something anthropomorphic. Thinking Machines were droids that didn't have a body, some were just dedicated to working on specific problems and, not being distracted by or wasting volume and mass on physicality could bring more thinking to bear.

I needed a lot more thinking now too. I was keeping track of galactic shipping and financial transactions as I had before. I was also trying to keep track of the Trade Federation, Techno Union, the Guilds, what was left of the Banking Clans and the Corporate Alliance. There was still, surprisingly, things happening in the Separatist Comm Networks which seemed to be developing into an alternate communications network to the Imperial Network. I was also constantly monitoring and probing Imperial Communications. Lastly, and hardly a complete list of my activities, I was relentlessly searching for any sign of Jedi survivors.

I was also overseeing activities at Hope Shipping, Corbeen's yard and my space stash.

I had been distracted for over seven days pursuing my errands. Now I was working the accumulated pile. It was going much faster than it had before the Change. I could bring in the information, process it, make decisions and issue decisions much faster.

The work that had been there before would have taken days and weeks to catch back up with. As I saw Jojo, Fio and Bayo stir and come out to the food area, I had caught up. I collected my light saber parts on a tray that reminded me of the ones on Crucible.

I went to Sky.

"I'd like you to come along please."

"Okay." She answered.

She offered me her hand. I took it and led her out to the mess area.

They were surprised to see us, but in a happy way.

Jojo began, "I take it this means your meditation went well?"

"Yes," I replied, "I have a new Kyber crystal and I thought Fio might like a demonstration."

"Oh yeah! Oh, and who is she?" Fio exclaimed.

"This is Sky. She will be joining our company and staying with me aboard Revenge." I introduced her around and everyone greeted her in a friendly way.

I then pulled out the Kyber crystal for the first time in a well-lit place and, in the bright lights of the mess area, held it up to a ceiling light to examine it. I saw that the Kyber was a beautiful dark, dark, blue. In fact, a darker blue than any Kyber crystal I had ever seen. Then, as everyone wanted to see the crystal, I passed it around. Everyone took a turn looking at it, even Bayo which made me nervous, but he was respectful. Only Sky deferred to touch it.

"I don't know if I've ever seen such a dark blue Kyber crystal." Jojo volunteered then asked, "Was it in the basket you brought?"

"I'm not sure. I didn't see it in there, but it could have been." I answered.

"What made you decide to go with, of all things, two double sabers?" Jojo asked.

"I have four arms. The only other four-armed Jedi I knew of was Master Krell. I decided to emulate him." I said.

"Krell, that's a strange choice to emulate." Jojo said.

"The moral strain of using clones weakened him and some sort of foreknowledge of Order 66 probably drove him mad. But before that, he was one of the most dangerous blades in the Order." I defended him.

"That's probably true." Jojo acknowledged.

I put the saber parts and the crystal in the tray on the floor. Then I sat down cross legged before them, closed my eyes and started to concentrate. I felt the pieces move up into the air and do their dance. I did it slowly, probably quarter speed, since I was showing Fio. Eventually, the pieces came together with a click and I knew the saber was done.

I stood up, opened my hand and the saber slapped down. Then I opened my eyes and there it was.

"Stand back." I said unnecessarily since they had all given me a respectful couple meters and I ignited the blade. It was, if anything, bluer than before. I'm sure the Force had important lessons to teach me in giving me a blue blade. What they were, I had no idea.

"That may be the darkest blue saber I have ever seen." Jojo added helpfully.

I doused the saber and the six of us had a war council.

I summarized the conversation I had with Yoda in the Shrine.

"I'm glad to hear he's alive. I hope that was a true vision." Jojo said.

"Anything is possible, but I believe it was him." I replied.

"We have to be careful. If we allow too much of the Empire's resources to focus on us, that could be it." Jojo said.

"Agreed." I answered.

"Why can't we use the nano weapons on Kuat Shipyards?" Jojo asked.

I could tell he liked the idea and was a little frustrated with me for not just agreeing to it. At the same time, like a Jedi, he was willing himself to stay open minded and hear me out.

I took a deep, unnecessary, breath and began. "Some secrets are kept in the idea. If the idea of nano tools got out, the galaxy would die. We have the weapons at my stash. I believe that we could run the mission at Kuat Shipyards with a high likelihood of success. What we could not do, is hide that it had been nano-weapons that had done it. Once the Empire saw the potential of nano-weapons, they would pursue them. Nano-tools would become commonplace and spread all over the galaxy. Then nearly every living being would start to die from the waste nano-particles. Once the process started rolling, there would be no stopping it. The only reason it hasn't begun is no one has looked."

"So, a successful use of the nano-weapons would light a match that killed nearly every living thing." Jojo said.

"Exactly." I replied.

Jojo then said, "Everyone in favor of hucking them in a star, say 'Aye.'"

Everyone said, "Aye."

"Since it's agreed. Next time I'm at the Stash, I'll "huck" them into a nearby star." I said using Jojo's strange lingo, then continued formally, "I have some news for Fio and Master Zaemon."

"Oh what?" Jojo asked.

I showed them some holostills of them from their encounter with the Inquisitors.

"Where'd you get those?" Jojo asked.

"Imperial Security Network," I replied then added, "Your faces have been added to the facial recognition network. From now on, you must be careful. They're also looking out for Bearer, but since she's much more anonymous than you two, we can keep using her. I also had engineering repaint her grey and red. Unfortunately, I can't repaint you two, so wear your helmets when you need to be out in public."

"So much for going to some core world university." Fio exclaimed.

"You already made your choice." Shield added unexpectedly in his matter-of-fact, flat mechanical voice. Everyone laughed.

"You have that level of access to Imperial Security?" Bayo asked surprised.

"Yes, I do." I replied, then continued, "We both need to proceed to the Stash and pick up some loads for the Harp and take them to Upsalon Station so they can be marketed. After that we head to Elysia for some working R&R."

"Oh, what are we doing at Elysia?" Jojo asked.

I explained.

We mounted up and proceeded to the Stash. The Stash had stopped being just the stash and had graduated at some point to the Stash. At first it was just a random spot in space where a few shipping containers were accumulated on the way to sale. Now it was a serious operation. I had a serious Binar Thinking Machine running the place. There was a large zone of scaffolding where cargoes were sorted and stored. A receiving area where cargoes were broken up, scanned and prepared for storage. All operated by a fleet of space tug/lift droids who kept everything moving. Security was all around, though we depended on our light years from nowhere middle of dead space most, there were twenty vultures here and a number of auto-turrets. Would it withstand an Imperial flotilla? Probably not. Would a group of pirates pay dearly for her? Yes.

We only stopped briefly. Bearer and Revenge have similar hauling capacity in their external bays. Bearer ended up with five shipments and Revenge with four. We then took the two hops to Upsalon. We had both spent some days running back and forth to make this process work. I really needed a dedicated yard mule to run back and forth from the Stash to Upsalon. Unfortunately, it was more than I wanted to trust a droid to do and I didn't have a person I would trust with the Stash.

I delivered the cargoes with instructions for Captain Thomas, they had already been sold. Then we proceeded to Elysia.

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	13. Chapter 13

**Legend of the Harp**

 **Episode I: Birth of a Jedi**

 **Chapter 13: Highwaymen**

***Jedi Knight Furin Kazan, Elysia***

Elysia was a nice planet with a particularly pleasant climate and welcoming biosphere. While it had a variety of industries and a stable, mostly human population, her primary export was tourism. A wide variety of resort and multi-resort complexes dotted her surface.

It was the perfect place to hold a council of war with my pirates. It was bad enough that Jojo and Fio were now being sought by the Imperial Security Facial Recognition Network, having a set of known pirates all meet together with me at Upsalon seemed like looking for trouble in all the right places. So, to Elysia we went. If there was some drinking, carousing and lying on the beach between meetings, so be it.

In addition to Bearer and Revenge, I had accumulated six pirates. Of course, there was still Captain Mel and Valeria and Lawrence

I also had some former Mistryl Shadow Guards and their ship, The Fury along. They had been some sort of all female mercenary unit before they went independent and I had turned them to piracy. They tended to be very fit, wear dark, tight clothes and the leader seemed to enjoy wielding a shock whip. I had been worried that I might get lured onto that ship of theirs and something sordid might happen. At least one benefit of this Change was that I now knew it wouldn't.

I had found a group of female felinoids called "Hani." Their Captain was named "Shatnur" and was of the "Shatnur" clan and the ship was named "Pride of Shatnur." While I had been initially suspicious, they had proven gritty and reliable. I had one personal problem with the Hani. Every HoloNet in every human civilization, and probably some others, has, as a staple, kitten videos. I'd watched a lot of them as a child, before I went to the Temple. Every time I dealt with the Shatnurs, it felt like I was watching a kitten video and it was all I could do not to pet them.

The Empire had occupied a Corporate Sector world called Die Tze. They had apparently caught most of their ships and navy on the ground. Only a handful of retired personnel had managed to escape, stealing some of their own ships. I had recruited two of these ships, Captain Nelson and his three compatriots flew the starship Divide. We also had Captain Crosby with three compatriots flying the Music.

All of my pirates were people were on one side or another of the Clone Wars, got chewed up trying to do the right thing, and then realized, when it was over, and we were stuck with the Empire, that we had all lost. They were hitting Trade Federation cargoes six a month which was tying the Feddys into knots and giving them fits. They had lost their chief pirate hunter recently and all the other ones they had seemed to be more scared of office politics than interested in finding pirates. The Feddys shipped thousands of cargoes every day, but every loss stung. Especially the ones where no cargo or pirates got recovered. Their insurance rates went up, their profit margins went down, and they became less competitive with their competition. One must remember, in a normal trade, the trader only keeps a tiny percentage of the value of each cargo as profit. When the trader loses the cargo, they lose all. It takes hundreds of successful deliveries to balance one lost cargo, especially if it's a well-chosen cargo.

Once I had the cargo, I'd start sifting and selling. I'd generally let the cargo sit for a few months as I always had a backlog. I also wouldn't make an effort to move more valuable cargo first. I enjoyed watching as my cargo selling practices drove the TradeFed cargo tracers crazy. I was taking a big piece of their wealth each month and putting it in my pocket.

I'd pay my pirates handsomely, but only a tiny fraction of what they brought in. They were all happy because they never had it so good. Their ships well maintained, the jobs all set up and easy. They were seeing bigger money than they'd ever seen before coming to them steady. All while knowing, they were sticking it to the Empire each time.

I had chosen the resort we would stay on their promise of no security cameras as it was the sort of place that catered to people who wanted to have a good time on the qt, mostly married people with someone other than their spouse and minor celebrities. Shield was very capable of sweeping for cameras and recording gear and thus far, had found none. We were in a private dining room and I had made sure to feed everyone a solid lunch easy on the liquor before I stood up in front of the holodisplay.

"I have been doing my best to make you all rich with our current endeavors." No need to be too specific in case there were any cameras I had missed. "Now I have a new project. In a sign the Empire has lost confidence with the Trade Federation, in no small part due to our actions," and here I paused for some good-natured cheering, "they have taken to moving some of their own high value cargoes on small Class Four Freighters. Some of them have already gone missing and now they are moving a certain number of them with escorts. I have become aware of an upcoming shipment. There will be between one and three Class four freighters, each carrying cargoes of packed hard Credits, Objects d'art, weapons and other very high value items. There will be a light cruiser and two Gozantis in a flotilla escorting them.

"Getting the freighters would be nice. Lot of Credits there. I would also like the Gozantis. They're valuable ships, but they aren't the main reason I want to do this. This action will make our enemy feel unsafe. Even in flotilla, they will not be safe. They will stop shipping cargoes because they will not be able to guarantee their safety. The cargoes they do ship, will be under extremely heavy protection, which will cost them dearly. This will hurt them in fundamental ways. They have made you feel unsafe. Now is the moment you can finally return the favor. Who is with me?"

I had hoped for a rousing cheer and for us to march out together, perhaps in song. I got a lot of questions and discussion instead.

Valeria said, "It is one thing what we do, but this is an act of war. The Empire will not wish to let this pass. There are ethical considerations!"

I had always noted how any time something required the courage of one's convictions, Galaxity and her citizens suddenly started having ethical considerations. I looked around hoping someone would answer for me, when no one did I said, "I think we are all here for more than mere pay. We are already at war. What I propose is to raise the stakes and the rewards."

Captain Shatnur stood up and started talking, I bit the inside of my mouth to keep "Pretty Kitty," from falling out.

It didn't help that Pyanfar Shatnur, seemed to choose a very idiosyncratic way of speaking. It involved moving around, waving the arms, and an unusually large number of dramatic pauses.

"Before. We. Decide." Then a pause for a fist bump, "We," a pause with hands waived to signify all, "We MUST know, what thepaywillbe."

I'd watched holovids of other Hani. They did not talk like this.

"I think it would be reasonable to expect double pay for a job like this. In addition, there will be mission objectives, if achieved, a schedule of bonuses." I replied when I could speak without giggling.

"The Empire has stomped all over my rights and the rights my family, my people and my world. I don't know if I'll live to see the backside of them, but if this can move things along quicker, I'm all in." Captain Nelson volunteered.

Captain Crosby quickly added, "I second that."

"At this point, I would like a show of hands of who is in and who is out. If you're in or a maybe, hand up."

I was pleased to see all hands went up.

I sent a com signal to Sky and my engineer droid and they went to work.

"Let me explain the plan such as I have it. We have a great deal of tactical expertise in this room, it's all welcome to contribute. Right now, my engineer droid is changing the torpedo load out on your ships. I have made sure you all have at least a four-pack torpedo bay on your vessels. You're each getting two new torpedoes from me. Torpedoes come in a wide variety of qualities and costs. Assuming you still have the torpedoes I last put in there, no one has invested in better?" I looked around, no one volunteered that they had, "You have very basic torpedoes at the entry level of quality. Of the two new torpedoes I'm loading, one is what I call a Silver Bullet. This is an extremely high-performance torpedo, better than anything you can buy for Credits on the Corellian marketplace and some of you may know what a million Credits will buy on the Corellian marketplace. I will also be loading an Icer. An Icer is a similarly high-performance torpedo. However, it's payload is designed to hit a target like an ion cannon. To disable.

"Here's how I see this developing. I have determined the Imperials will have to make a stop at the Shantipole system. It will take them some time to recover and jump out. We will be lying in wait.

"They will have thirteen TIE fighters of various sorts. We will have eight Vultures. Everyone's on TIE clearing patrol until they're all gone.

"Then Fury, Divide and Music are assigned to the Gozantis. On the two Gozanti's, I want to knock down shields, disable with an Icer and then board them. The Fury, Divide and Music are all big enough to grab on and take a Gozanti back to our normal place. I would prefer Divide and Music be the ones to carry away the Gozantis. Fury, you stay behind and get a Freighter.

"For the freighters, I would prefer not to disable. I would like to take them intact and fly them out. You have all had a lot of experience overcoming a freighter crew and taking them away. However, these will be Imperial Military Freighters and will likely have serious armed resistance. Be prepared. One ship should position themselves to prevent the freighter from leaving Tranquility and Pride, the others should be boarding. Fury, Bearer and me.

"Lastly I expect a Light Cruiser will be the escort flag. That's my job and Bearer will be my backup.

"This is a high-priority Imperial convoy. Help will be coming. We don't have all day. If we can't take something, destroy it. If you take serious damage and or casualties, get out of there. In this plan, I don't want to try and nail everything down to the last scratch, because I want you all using your judgment and making good choices. There could be unexpected variables out there. I have specifically NOT chosen to show how I will deploy Vultures after the TIEs are gone. They will be a strategic reserve. Lastly, this, and I played an example, is a get of out town signal. Something has gone wrong and everyone needs to run." I finished.

There was a lot of talk. Everyone wanted to put their two Credits in about every detail of the plan, but basically, it stuck. I got a lot of advice on how I could use the Vultures, particularly as a blocking force to allow faster boarding of the Freighters, which I would consider since it was a good idea.

Well past one when it all broke up, I took Jojo aside to a private room on Revenge for a talk.

"What's on your mind?" He asked as we sat down with some brandy and spice sticks. Elysia had some remarkable brandy and spice sticks available for purchase.

"My plan for the Light Cruiser has a lot of maybes. It could go very right, it could go very wrong. Bearer has two four pack torpedo bays. She'll have seven Silver Bullets and One Icer." I said.

"That's a lot of Silver Bullets, can we afford that?" Jojo asked.

"Bearer currently has eight Silver Bullets on board. Your lives are precious. We're replacing one with an Icer." I answered.

"Oh." Jojo said.

"I have a special new trick. I'm going to hit the Light Cruiser with that first. Then we'll start hitting it with torpedoes. Between Revenge and Bearer, we should have enough to take her out. Hopefully it won't be necessary here, but if we ever have to go after bigger game, that would be the plan as well. My trick, then pound it with Silver Bullets and then run for it if it doesn't work. Make sure Fio and Bayo know about this please." I asked.

"I will. Are you sure about this? This is a big and dangerous move." Jojo said.

"This from the wanted man." That made Jojo smile. "This is a unique strategic opportunity. We hurt them here, we mess them up for years. This won't make the Empire fall, but it will set the table. They'll get more paranoid and repressive which will provoke more resistance. They won't be able to ship nearly as well, and that will harden their veins.

"My plan to accumulate technological advantages for a rebellion should it ever emerge has been failing worse than I did on Plynth. The Zillo beast did yield improved armor, but making it public or giving it to some rebel army? Have you noticed who has armored infantry and vehicles? Imagine if they could make them even more impervious to enemy fire. Once the Imperials got a sample it wouldn't take Imperial R&D that long to duplicate and deploy. I came up with a class of torpedoes that doesn't even exist on the market right now, if they work, they would be devastating. But if I use it, everyone will know the secret and once again they're crazy expensive, who can afford them? Not cash strapped rebels, but a well-heeled Empire could. The nano-weapons, well you know how that worked out already.

"So, this is Plan B. We do things that cripple the Empire economically and get them to over-react." I explained.

Jojo took a puff of his spice stick. I had been sipping and puffing myself. I didn't get pleasure from it anymore, but it reminded me what it had used to feel like.

"Maybe you're not stocking an arsenal for a future that maybe will never happen rebellion, but the Zillo beast thing, Fio's alive because of that. Those torpedoes, I don't know, maybe it's better you don't share the secret with me, but if we need them at some point and they work? The nano-weapons, maybe you didn't get a massive new arsenal of weapons, but you did recruit Sky and my insight says she will be a very valuable ally. Don't crush yourself. We have gotten stronger. We have better ships, better weapons and better training. Yes, we're small right now compared to the Empire, but that can change. This plan seems sound and it's goals seem valid." Jojo said.

"Thank-you." I said.

"I'm still worried about the Hutt though, I thought he was next on the agenda. We've been away for a long time. He might see it as defiance and take it out on the town. We didn't take Fio from her Mother under honest circumstances. People are suffering for my decisions." Jojo said.

"That's the next step. I would have done that first but the timing on this was too good. I should have asked before I made the decision." I said.

"I agree, this has higher priority. However, I want the Hutt next as soon as we recover from this. My plan is to have Fio fly, that will keep Bayo and me available for boarding actions." Jojo said.

"That makes sense, I was going to have Sky fly for the same reason. Make sure Fio doesn't go crazy with the torpedoes. They're there if we need them, not to waste. Most of the ships we're looking at could die with one Silver Bullet hit and we want them intact." I replied.

We gave each other a quick hug, which was very unJedi-like and we headed to our ships.

After a last breakfast, the next morning we all took to our ships and headed out. Several hops later found us in the Shantipole system. Shantipole wasn't the busiest hyperspace transfer point, but it was well known for it's planet of dead ships. There was a planet, reputed to have a breathable atmosphere, that had some sort of profoundly negative effect on most space ships. Lots of hotshots had wanted to show they could handle it, but the atmosphere had handled them. I was tempted to see how Revenge would do, but I had business to attend to before being a reckless idiot. We all picked a nice big rock to hide behind and waited. We all got to sit behind that rock for thirty-four hours of radio silent tension. I cleaned things up. I practiced and exercised. I discovered I could read through a much bigger part of the slush pile, but mostly I found out I could still sweat.

Then the Imperial convoy blew in. The Light Cruiser led in, then three Class 4 Freighters and lastly, two Gozantis.

I announced, "Now!" Over our private commlink channel.

We dumped our fighters and burst out from behind the rock. I'm pretty sure the other ships followed. The reason I didn't know was because I had never gone into combat so fast. Sky was ready to use all of Revenge's speed and maneuverability and that was so much faster than I had ever entered combat. I barely had time to deploy the main cannon.

Revenge has, at the top of her dome, a pop-up turret. When the turret deploys it reveals three guns. Three big guns. Arranged in a turret. Ship designers had been relentlessly chasing the goal of adding more little guns for so long, they had lost the forest for trees. The idea of, and the advantages of, something different hadn't even occurred to them. Warships had started out small for a combination of economic reasons and the limits of pre-plasma cannon ship building technology. When plasma cannons became available they were small and had slow rates of fire. They were considered additions to the conventional weaponry. As warships grew and plasma cannons improved, they stayed small. Even as plasma cannons became the dominant weapon of warships, designers kept focusing on how to add more, not growing the size of the cannon, because everyone knew, that's the size cannon were. The Empire's new Star Destroyers were the culmination of this building philosophy, building really huge ships so one could mount really huge numbers of small guns.

Revenge's main turret had three, one hundred and fifty mm guns in a single turret and now is when they would be used. I had bet, a lot, that three really big guns would do more than lots of little guns.

Author's Note: Is this cannon idea reasonable? Am I reaching? No. Please feel free to review the history of the USS Princeton. It was built by John Ericcson, the same genius who would go on to design and build the USS Monitor of Civil War fame.

One of the many ways we know blaster weapons are new to the Star Wars galaxy is that the way they are deployed on ships is so primitive. The way guns are placed on Star Wars warships roughly conforms to the way we used guns on warships up to the 1880s. As ship building techniques got more sophisticated and bigger ships could be built, rather than add larger guns, they would simply keep adding more guns of the same size. One of Ericcson's insights was that guns could be bigger, and it would be an advantage to have bigger guns even if that would mean the same size ship could carry fewer overall. Ericcson had many other insights like counter-rotating twin screw propellers, cannon designs that could be much lighter reliably and all metal ships, to name a few. Eventually the HMS Dreadnought would bring these ideas to conclusion in what would be the last generation of Battleships here on Earth. One would have loved to see such a ship for Star Wars in Episode 7. Rather than a massive continuity error like Starkiller base, a Dreadnought brought to fruition by the First Order would have been believable, and deployed into space combat, it would have been a horrific terror weapon as it carved effortlessly through the Republic Fleet. Finding a way to stop this first Dreadnought could have created a very compelling must sink the Bismarck-like story which would have been so much less derivative of Episode 4.

Furin is duplicating just one of Ericcson's brilliant ideas and has placed a single large gun turret on Revenge. Based on the other shipbuilding cues we see, it's not unreasonable for someone to have had this insight, at this moment, in the Star Wars universe.

Sky had the Revenge fly straight at the Light Cruiser. Then just as the cruiser fired all it's batteries at us, she did a twisting turn pointing us straight down. "Get ready," I could feel her thinking. She then, in a maneuver that I can't imagine most snub fighters could duplicate because of both the speed and the turning radius, pulled us up so we arched around behind the Cruiser in time to swoop around into a position pointed at her top deck.

At point blank range I fired the main cannon.

I believed, and my testing had proved, I could shoot from much greater distances with the big guns than one could with the small guns. However, the big gun had one major limitation. Energy. Little guns, like the thirties, had banks of capacitors which could be charged up or dumped into shields, depending on circumstances and how much energy your ship made. Revenge made a lot. The big gun had three, huge round 210-liter drum sized capacitors, they were good for one shot. Generally, we charged the drums off Upsalon. We could charge them off the ship, but it took over an hour, when not in combat. One of the problems with plasma cannons is that, at the ranges ships fight, the plasma bolts move slow enough that they can be dodged. Since we had only one shot, we had to make it count. That meant point blank range.

The three big bolts hit that Light Cruiser square and even the naked eye could see how her shields flexed and broke.

The Hammarchi scanners showed us the Light Cruisers shields had not taken that hit well. The shields had, apparently, absorbed the hit. Our scanners were telling us that the power systems on the Cruiser were very upset. In addition, the shields now had a substantial hole in them. It would take them more time than they had to fix them. I fired in four torpedoes. The Binar brains in the torpedoes were smart enough to do more than aim for center of mass. They went straight through the shield hole, destroyed the Cruiser's generators, bridge, magazine and main power coupling. Our battle moved on, but we would watch her in the background as she tumbled uncontrolled down to Shantipole to join the ship grave yard the hard way.

Sky took us on a fast loop of the battle and fired a few shots at easy targets. Our Vultures had handled the TIEs handily. Shields and Zillo paint against fragile TIEs was not fair at all. Perfect.

I saw Divide, Music and Fury engage with the Gozantis. I saw Tranquility and Pride start approaching freighters.

"Pirate 2 (Bearer), keep an eye on things and hit those Gozantis, I'll get the last freighter." I said into the commlink.

Sky needed no further encouragement. She pulled us up to a freighter and I didn't wait to extend the docking ring. Shield and I leapt out the airlock and flew to the Freighter's side.

As Shield worked the door, I watched Bearer pull around behind the Gozantis and start unloading on both of them. I knew their light stock shields would not last long.

Shield took only a few seconds to jimmy open the freighter's airlock and we were in. A nasty looking combat droid greeted me. It was a narrow hallway, so I let Shield put up a shield for us. As the droid's first bolt bounced off to the wall I shot it in the face and it went down hard. Droid had five siblings. I just found their off switches and flipped them off with the Force, they were valuable. The crew got stunned, hooded and shackled. Then they, and a calling card, were thrown into an escape pod whose distress signal system had been disabled and shot into space.

I proceeded to the cockpit.

"Sky report."

"With Bearers assistance, the two Gozantis have been restrained. Fury and Bearer are boarding now. Pride has docked with a Freighter and is conducting boarding operations now. Tranquility is docking." Sky replied.

I watched the battle through Sky's eyes as I prepared to jump. As I watched the battle unfold, there were details I was very concerned about and chief among those was how long help would take to arrive. We were basically stuck there unable to proceed until boarding operations completed.

Pride couldn't go anywhere with half her crew on a Freighter and was sitting helpless. Tranquility was just starting boarding which kept Le Cygne pinned to hold the Freighter from jumping. We were using four Vultures to keep the last Freighter in line. Bearer and Fury wouldn't leave until their boarders were secure and Divide and Music couldn't start grabbing until boarding operations were complete.

Pride had been first to board and the second after me to secure her ship. They undocked and as the Pride's Freighter jumped out, Pride followed.

Bearer's boarding operation was complete next. Music latched onto the Gozanti and prepared to jump. Minutes kept ticking by. Finally, Fury declared secure and Divide started to latch.

When Music jumped out, I announced over commlink, "Pirate 2, recover your fighters and jump out. "

Music was the next out. I moved my fighters to hold the other remaining Freighter and ordered, "Pirate 4 (Le Cygne), jump out."

Le Cygne didn't need much more encouragement and they were gone. Bearer, her fighters recovered, was gone a moment later.

Divide jumped out next and before Fury could follow, three Star Destroyers entered the system. They were behind us but closing fast. They were also disgorging clouds of TIEs.

"Pirate 3 (Tranquility) and 5 (The Fury), go now." I ordered. "Pirate 1, cover."

That moment, the Light Cruiser, which was tumbling into Shantipole, chose to explode. I noticed the TIEs increased velocity.

Tranquility and The Fury jumped out and an escape pod finally flew out of the other freighter.

"Sky get our fighters and get out of here."

"I won't leave you."

"Then just get the fighters."

"Will do."

I was pretty durable, but being blasted from space, falling uncontrolled into a planetary atmosphere, these were things that could do for me. Also, being trapped floating through space forever would eventually kill me.

It was nerve racking, but also pleasant to be worried about my mortality.

After she collected the last fighter, Sky flew into the lead echelon of TIEs blasting some, scattering others. They hadn't expected that move, but it put her in a bad place. Finally, the other freighter left.

"Sky get out of here."

I was worried she wouldn't be able to get a clear line, I spent so much of my life in back end nowhere systems with only one way in or out. However, Sky had remembered Shantipole has a few ways in and out, she just took a different vector out of the system. I hit the jump and was gone.

We rallied up at the designated spot and the various pirates switched back into their own ships. Jojo and I took turns flying our new ships into the Stash. Before I went back for the third Freighter, we loaded up Bearer with three deliveries and the combat droids. Jojo would take the deliveries to Upsalon for Hope, fuel up and then take the droids to the New Temple and wait for me there.

I got the last Freighter and, like the others, dumped the cargo into the Stash's inbound, then flew it to a spot, broke the brain and engine, then let it fall in a star.

I kept the Gozantis.

I flew three deliveries to Upsalon for Hope, docked, unloaded my cargoes, fueled up and saw that I had a call from Jotun.

When I connected to Jotun's comm, he said, "I think you need to come out here."

There was some danger, if he had figured something out and alerted Imperial authorities, well, I was in trouble. We flew out anyway.

I met Jotun in what had been his Father's office but was now his. Corbeen was in semi-retirement, and Jotun was now running things.

"I have come as you requested." I said as I walked into the office.

I had Upsalon's tailor rework the bandolier into my gun belt. I kept the convenient charger, now in the reinforced belt and put the power cells into belt loops. I now made my chest piece a little smaller, after more ceremonial chest pieces. I'd also come up with a "hat," really just more me, that I had fashioned after the hats I had seen on some bounty hunter's heads. Really, had seen on Cad Bane's head. I hated Cade Bane, but also admired his genius. If I could find Bane, I'd put him on retainer. Compared to Bane's hat, the stove pipe of my hat was bigger around, taller and the apparent material was black felt. The hat's wide brim gave me an excuse to hide my face behind what appeared to be a shadow and was great at foiling facial scanners. I was thinking of suggesting it to Jojo and Fio. Bayo was lucky, no face scanner would ever be able to pick him up.

"You're famous," Jotun said as he picked up a holo tablet and showed me the news broadcast. It looked like footage from my recent space battle, "you made the top of all the big HoloNets. Sexy space battle footage. Of course, then the Empire quashed the story. A bunch of little ships blowing away one of their light cruisers. Not a good message I suppose."

Then Jotun's tone changed to anger and sadness, "What are you doing? I see Bearer there, she might pass as a Gozanti but Revenge, there's only one of her. Each one of those pirate ships, they've passed through this yard. You promised my Dad you wouldn't be a scum sucking pirate!" Jotun expelled jumping up from his seat and showing me the footage on a holotablet.

"I'm not." I said.

"That's really interesting because that sure looks like piracy." Jotun responded a bit emotionally.

"Those ships were a legitimate military target and were struck as such. As is evidenced by the military ships protecting them." I answered.

"I didn't know we were at war?" Jotun answered in a heated way.

"I think you know what I am. At the very least, you must suspect it." I answered.

With that Jotun sat down and looked down. His face turned down, he said, "I think I know."

"Just to make sure we're clear, I'm a Jedi Knight. The Jedi Order fought for peace, justice and freedom in this galaxy for thousands of years. I know that's easy to forget. All the Imperial propaganda makes us seem like grasping monsters. Thousands of years of selfless service, you'd think we'd have built up some good will, some credibility. I guess not. I mean, let's think what the Order's great crime was, we tried to depose the Emperor, almost like, maybe, we were trying to save the Republic. The response, no trials, no arrests, just a massacre. Even the children cut down and shot. Were the children so guilty they deserved to be murdered without trial?"

"No." He said, his face still downcast.

"The right to fair trial was the first to go, it's already not the last. I do seem to remember a conversation we had just a little while ago, a thousand-year-old tradition of respect for freedom of speech is already dead." I continued with more heat than I should have had.

"We can fight that within the system." He protested without much conviction.

"Really, when if you say the wrong thing in public the Empire does a magic trick and makes you disappear? You felt like you needed to leave the Fleet because they were going to press you into Imperial service. You want me to use my Jedi insight to tell you exactly what's going to happen?" I said, still more heated than I wished to be.

"Yes." He said.

"Since we last talked, the Empire has continued to put more pressure on the Corellian government to give up it's fleet. The Corellian people have bravely elected a liberal, pacifist new government. What was their campaign slogan? 'We will not condone a course that leads us to war.' It's amazing how many times I've heard that line. Palpatine loves that line. That attitude makes sense if everyone is playing in good faith. Palpatine is not playing in good faith. He's had so many cheap victories from that kind of cowardice and naiveté. Eventually, an Imperial Fleet Task Force will show up. The choice will be given, cave or we blow you down. This government, they'll cave, and when they cave, all Corellian independence and dignity will go with the last ship. Do you think I'm wrong? Do you think you'll be able to resolve this peacefully then?" I asked argumentatively.

"No," He replied, then regaining a bit of his anger continued waving the tablet, "but what is this? You talk a good game, but it sounds like all it does is give you an excuse to steal some Credits."

"That's me fighting, and it often feels like I'm the last one. I'm fighting to hang onto a last shred of dignity, a last flicker of hope. That attack may look profitable, but I'm going to have to pay everyone who was there. The torpedoes fired weren't the cheap kind. The cargoes taken will stay on ice for a very long time, maybe forever. I'll be lucky to break even. I didn't do it for money. I just succeeded in making the Empire very nervous. That's going to slow down shipments and the shipments that do get made will be much more heavily guarded distracting them from targets elsewhere. Maybe delaying the day of Corellia's humiliation by a few weeks. Maybe I didn't free any systems today, but I did something. Something that may lay groundwork for victories tomorrow.

"You've been asking questions of me, I have one for you. You can see where all this goes. There are thousands of systems where people already live the way the Empire wants you to live. You have a wife, some small kids. When you picture them growing up, which one do you want them to be, the hopeless slave with a tracking chip injected in their back or the sadistic Imperial overseer with the shock whip?"

I could see my question almost made him throw up as he visualized the future he knew full well was coming.

Then he looked up at me and said, "Aren't you afraid I'm gonna turn you in?"

I looked at him quizzically, "Do I have to say it?"

He looked confused and replied, "Yeah, I guess you do."

"All those ships came through this shipyard. If ImpSec gets wind of this, and I promise I will never tell, you're all done. Every one of you that works here. Your families. Your friends. All gone. Your lives mean nothing so the chance they might wheedle out one tiny secret about one active resister, it's enough for them to torture you all to death. You all go into a dark place and don't come out." I explained patiently, but his face went pale.

"You put us all in danger and you weren't straight with us!" He protested.

"You armed those ships to the teeth. You knew they weren't for delivering blue milk." I answered.

That last statement knocked him back into his office chair. He covered his face with his hands and said in a very sad and forlorn voice, "What am I going to do?"

His question was rhetorical, but I decided to answer, "If you want me to, I'll go and never come back. Or, you can help me help Corellia hang onto a last shred of her dignity. Your choice. If you need some time to decide. I'll understand." I explained.

"I need your business to stay afloat." He said.

"You need to understand, everything is about to change." I said.

"How?" He asked curious.

"First is my B-Pack ready?" I asked.

"Yes."

"Good. Let's start fitting it and we have a bunch of other projects that need to be getting worked." I said.

After finishing my conference with Jotun, I proceeded to Upsalon and had similar conversations with Captain Pagot and Thomas. Then I was finally away to the New Temple. On the way I put in a call to Mik at Incom.

"What can I do for you today sir?" Mik asked in a pleased voice, normally when I called it meant I was buying something.

"We have any orders yet for the X-Wing?" I asked.

"Nothing yet, but with more high-profile piracy incidents occurring, we expect orders any day now." He replied.

"Is the production line ready to go?" I asked.

"It sure is." Mik said.

"Good I want to order some fighters." I answered.

We haggled for a bit. I got a good deal because I was a big investor and more because they were desperate for orders. I read their internal communications, so I know I got the craft for just a few hundred credits above cost, but it would allow them to keep the production line open and continue as a going concern while also helping to protect my investment. I ended up ordering thirty with an option to order more at the same price later. It didn't hurt that a fighter with active orders looks much better in the galactic marketplace than one that doesn't.

When I got to the New Temple, I dropped off the security droids with my droid repair droids and met up with Jojo.

"That went well," Jojo said, "but The Fury, Tranquility and Pride all have casualties. No KIAs, and everyone is expected to make a recovery."

"That is good news. We should probably proceed to Elysia." I replied.

"What's your plan for the stuff we took?" Jojo asked.

"Mostly it will go on ice. Eventually, I'll probably rehab the Gozantis. I'm looking for resistance. Maybe spark some. When it comes, I want resources to support it." I answered.

"Why put the stuff on ice?" Jojo asked.

"Right now, Imperial investigators are going insane trying to track down and figure out who just took their shipment. One of the first things they'll be looking for is the cargo. Unique stuff that was in the cargo, that's a classic way to track down thieves. So, we put the cargo on ice. They spin their wheels and become even more paranoid. If we need the money later, three, four years down the road, we can liquidate the cargo. Normal pirates wouldn't be able to hold the cargo that long. The other ships and crew would be screaming for their cut." I explained.

"Won't the other ships be screaming for their cash?" Jojo asked.

"Yes, they will, but I'll pay them out of ready cash. We have plenty. Remember your Credit chips?" I answered.

"Yeah I do." Jojo.

"Oh, there's something I wanted to show you on Bearer you might like." I said.

I had bought hats for Jojo and Fio, a round brimmed hat like mine for Jojo and a more feminine cloth with brim for Fio.

"Fio, you may wish to color your hair and keep it covered in public." I advised.

Then I showed them the disguise machine I had used. The device basically used hologram and deflector technology to create a temporary disguise. For short periods, it was pretty good. Water and electromagnetic radiation among other things would make it tend to start to degrade more quickly. Under best circumstances, it wouldn't last much more than a couple hours, which had been plenty to hijack several freighters.

We proceeded to Elysia. We visited the crew members who had been hurt. The Fury and Tranquility had two each, one lightly and another more serious, likely to need to be down for a bit more. Pride had just one. Luckily, Tranquility had a doctor on board.

We met for dinner and had quite a pleasant repast. When eating was done we closed off the room, did a search for any openings and electronic listening devices, then began.

"That was quite a successful job we all pulled together." I paused so everyone could cheer, "No deaths, all mission goals accomplished, the Empire will have to buy a new Light Cruiser. Three treasure freighters acquired. Most importantly, they have received a public kick in the private parts to which they cannot respond."

I began to pass out envelopes. "In these envelopes you will find payment as agreed with a little extra. Particularly, those who had wounded crew will find special payments for those members. I assume there will be no complaints. In addition, you will find your all-inclusive rooms and ship's berths here at the resort paid for the next two weeks. Enjoy. I look forward to working together again soon. After two weeks, I'll begin transmitting your next assignments."

We took care of a number of bits of side business as well. One thing we did, which had been Fio's idea, was to establish a distress signal that could be broadcast by any member of the group. Built into the distress signal was a method to covertly give one's location so the other ships in our little fleet could respond.

"I know we're all independent operators, but now, we're also all in this together. The better we watch out for each other, the safer we all are." Fio explained.

There was general nodding of agreement and everyone took the prep materials.

The next morning, I made myself available at breakfast time. I had asked Jojo, Fio and Bayo to join me. I had a feeling people might want to talk. I was right.

"So now were ready to head back to Dandoran?" Jojo began.

"Decks are clear with me. We just need to swing by the New Temple to get some cargo loaded on Bearer for Dandoran. We can leave today." I said.

Fio's shoulders slumped, "I was having so much fun. I was hoping for another day on the beach."

Bayo said, in his deep, matter-of-fact, clone voice, "Your Mother is worried."

"Yeah I know, I guess we should go." Fio agreed.

"Then we leave today?" I asked.

"Today." Agreed Jojo.

"We settle business with the Hutt first, then we visit Korpluck Town for good-byes." I offered.

"That makes sense." Jojo agreed again.

"Let's make a few plans." I suggested.

"Yeah this could go several ways." Jojo agreed again.

I pulled out a large holotablet I'd brought to breakfast for this purpose.

As we schemed, I was visited, and we took breaks, so I could have private conversations with my various pirates.

Captain Mel came by, and we went to talk.

"Your crew, they're doing okay?" I asked.

"Yeah, they're healing right up." Mel answered.

"The medical care is all paid for and your rooms are covered until they're up and about. Don't worry about taking a few extra days after they're up and about. I'll cover it." I said.

"You take pretty good care of us." He said.

"You do good work." I said.

"What do you think this will mean with ImpSec?" He asked.

"I'd recommend lie low. If I hear anything specific, I'll pass it along. They shouldn't have enough to come after you, but they could get a lucky hit on something I haven't thought of or just start grabbing random people and get lucky." I explained.

"Yeah that makes sense." Captain Mel said.

"Is there anything else I can do for you? Anything else you need?" I asked.

"No, we're good. You sure do take good care of us."

"Your work is valuable, is appreciated and wanted. Further, I'd like us to be more than just business associates. You have hopes for Ceti. I have hopes for the galaxy and the road that leads to those hopes is the same. The road to those goals may be long, I'd like to be walking it with friends." I said sincerely.

"You know, you talk like a Jedi." Captain Mel said.

"Benefit of a classical education." I answered smiling.

With that Captain Mel got up, wished us well and I sensed he wanted to be with his crew, so I didn't detain him.

Captains Crosby and Nelson came by together and I joined them as well.

"Everything okay? Are you pleased with the payouts?" I asked.

Captain Nelson brushed his arm aside and said, "That's all fine. We're worried about Die Tze, our world. We want to see if you have any ideas about what can be done there?"

"Your homeworld is still under direct Imperial occupation. They have a heavy presence there. If any resistance emerged, we would try to support it, but right now, it would likely get squashed. If I had a fleet and a legion we could try to invade. The problem is, even then, the Empire would probably just reinforce and overwhelm like they did on Salient. The only strategy I have are missions like you both do each month and the one we just did. Each month you bleed the beast. What we just did will stop up his arteries and may help move ships and men away from your world. If you have something better, please let me know?" I explained.

"So, you would support a resistance if one developed?" Captain Crosby asked.

"Anywhere, out of my own pocket, happily." I said, "Enough of them and eventually a resistance on your world wouldn't be pointless."

The others all came by and it was late afternoon before we were done. I'd let them know we were off to be about some errands of our own and they wished us well.

***Ti Bault, Shantipole System***

Gall and I arrived at the Shantipole system. I noticed several times when Gall subtlety stretched and moved his new arm. It was a top of the line, high performance model with cosmetic features to hide, as well as possible, it's prosthetic nature, but I was sure Gall would need some time to get used to it. We landed on a Star Destroyer that was collecting up survivors and evidence. The Gozanti had just pulled another big job. This time it had attacked a fleet including a light cruiser, two other Gozantis and three Class Four container ships. All six ships, cargoes and the thirteen TIE Fighters they carried were gone.

The Star Destroyer's captain came down to greet us backed by a squad of Storm Troopers.

"Permission to come aboard." The Captain welcomed us before we had asked. He then conspicuously failed to introduce himself before continuing. "We have a waiting area on third deck where you will be allowed to wait while we complete the investigation."

I happened to know that "waiting area" the Captain was offering was really pre-processing for the brig. Not exactly luxurious.

Gall pulled something out and showed it to the Captain. The Captain went a bit pale. Then Gall said, "We'll need all recovered HoloVid materials. Access to all survivors for interviews, they should all be collected on this ship and no one leaves the system till I say so. I'll need any physical evidence and access to the escape pods as little touched as possible. If we need anything else, we'll tell you. You should be thinking of things you can volunteer to assist in our investigation. Your cooperativeness, or lack thereof, will be prominently noted in my report."

"Of course, we have the survivors on med-deck, I could escort you there while copies of the holovids are produced." The Captain offered with a nervous smile.

"I'm hungry." I added.

"We can have food brought to you there?" There Captain offered.

"Fine." I said.

We questioned the survivors. A variety of interesting looking people were now clearly helping our two Jedi. I reviewed the holovid recordings, the Gozanti had been there. Both Jedi had attacked ships. They now seemed to have a new ship, pretty spiffy, all black, round, with two huge engines. When I saw what it did to the Light Cruiser, I was impressed and nervous.

After reviewing the holovid records, I went through the escape pod from one of the Class Four freighters. I was looking for something. I reviewed the interviews, didn't find mention. I brought it to Gall's attention.

We called back the three freighter crewmembers, Gall looked at them and said, "Where is it?"

The freighter captain looked up nervously and said, "What?"

Gall snapped out his new shock axe, apparently he had a spare, not as old, favored and sacred as the one lost, but quite functional. "I will give you one more chance, then I will strip all three of you naked and find out at what temperature your skin burns."

"We turned over the card as soon as we came off the ship. We don't have any idea where it might be." The Captain explained quickly.

"I see." Gall said.

The Captain and the Chief Investigator were summoned.

"I am disappointed that key evidence has been withheld from my associate and myself. I expect the evidence produced. This lack of cooperation will reflect poorly in my report. If I find any other lack of cooperation, I am authorized to take immediate measures." Gall explained.

"No, no that won't be necessary. I'm sure it was just an oversight." The Captain quickly offered.

The card was produced. A copy of the last two. Beautifully carved, not forged. Engraved. The message was the boogeyman of every Imperial officer I imagine all the way to the top. We had the other two cards, and this would make three. Imperial Intelligence certainly knew about all of them. I put the new one with the other two.

Just as we were getting ready to leave, a Chaojing Attack Shuttle landed aboard the Star Destroyer.

A human male wearing a long cloak and a funny wicker hat walked off. The wicker hat was large and round and covered his whole head. I could tell that there were small slits between each piece of wicker. This would mean he could see us clearly, but his face would be obscured. Under the cloak, I noticed that he was wearing clothing very similar to that of a traditional Jedi. There was a light blue tunic and loose pants. They were joined by a wide leather belt and a pair of boots at the bottom. He came forward to Gall and bowed. I got enough of a look at him to see that he was a human of the Zhonghua lineage.

Most humans in the galactic core were from a similar lineage resulting in fair skin and the use of Galactic Standard as a main common language. The Zhonghua lineage was a completely separate lineage whose skin tone tended to be gold, with pointed eyes. Most Zhonghua lived in a distinct region bordering the core systems on the far side of the galaxy and kept to themselves. They occupied roughly a hundred systems and enjoyed a unique culture. One that had produced the Chaojing Attack Shuttle.

"Greetings Mila Hanska Gall of the Wakan." The Zhonghua stated.

"Welcome Master Rain of Fantuan." Gall intoned and bowed slightly in return.

"Considering the number of adversaries you now track, our mutual employer has asked me to come along and assist." Master Rain explained.

"It is not necessary, but your company is welcome." Gall replied.

I could sense something was not quite right in Gall's speech, but well-honed instincts for survival helped keep me completely silent.

The Star Destroyer in the Shantipole system became ground zero for this ongoing investigation. I briefed Master Rain. Of course, he had to question all the survivors again. We reviewed all the ships that were involved. We knew there was a Mistryl Guards ship and crew. So, a trip to Emberlene was in order. There was a Hani ship, so a visit to the Hani homeworld was appropriate. There were also two Die Tze gun boats. Presumably from the handful that escaped Imperial occupation.

One had everything that would drive the Empire nuts in this attack. Clear defiance which the Empire could not directly respond to. Imperial forces being publicly overrun and humiliated. An apparent, successful, coalescing of resistance from many sources. Lastly, and the best, apparent Jedi survivors involved. The Star Destroyer, the Repulse, had ships coming and going every day. Every half-baked investigator from every branch of anything the Empire had to deal with crime was showing up.

I sat down with Gall in his ship to talk.

"The best lead we got and are going to get is Emberlene. Let's get out of here. Eventually these clowns will figure it out and flood the place. We get there first. We get the cleanest look at what's going on. Maybe get some names. Maybe even some locations. We keep waiting for these yokel Imperial dog catchers, we'll lose it."

"You have a point." Gall said.

"So, when do we leave?" I asked.

"Emberlene looks right but is wrong. We stay." Gall said.

We stayed. The next day alerts started hitting my HoloNets. I pulled it up and looked it over.

"Our Gozanti is on Dandoran."

"For that." Gall said.

Gall had been right. It was a hump to Dandoran, but if we had gone to Emberlene it would have been twice as far.

Without asking we just pulled out. It wasn't like we had left anything we needed on the Repulse. We even had the card and original holo records.

As soon as we pulled away from the ship a Chaojing Attack Shuttle was asking for permission to dock. Gall opened the same docking bay Lemon Drop was parked in and the shuttle landed. The bay had barely finished closing and we were in hyperspace. I expected Master Rain to come out. He didn't.

The Chaojing Attack Shuttle was a standard military vessel from Zhonghua-space. It represented the next logical step from TIE Fighter, to Long Range Fighter to Attack Shuttle. The point of a snub fighter is to be small, light and fast. Also, cheap. It's a cat's paw for the larger capital ship, a way to attack and put fire down on a target without exposing the more valuable assets to danger. In snub fighter combat, the advantage went to most maneuverable, fastest and best armed. One could argue about the value of placing shields on them. A Long-Range Fighter had a hyperspace drive, they were also more likely to have shields. It could be a strategic advantage to be able to sortie fighters without a mother ship. In combat with a lighter fighter, like a TIE, they would be at a disadvantage because they would be compromised by the volume and weight the hyper drive required. There's also the issue that the hyper drive makes them far more expensive. The Attack Shuttle took this to the next step, it would have limited quarters on board for the pilot. Some sort of bunk, limited lav and food prep facilities. If it was an advantage to have a snub fighter that could attack across hyperspace distances, what about one that could linger not for hours, but for days. Obviously though, once again compromised by adding a lot more volume, mass and cost to the vehicle. I'm sure admirals, tacticians and politicians argued endlessly over these things. Whatever their merits, I knew that Attack Shuttles were more popular with the Zhonghuans. Also, they were very popular in the rest of the galaxy with folks who lived on the sharp end of the law. Likely, if I'd had time to run someplace and trade Lemon Drop, I would have been looking for something like an Attack Shuttle.

"Does he know what's going on?" I asked as we sat on the bridge, hyperspace flowing by, the Shuttle sitting in the landing bay on one of our screens.

"I expect he does." Gall answered.

"Why doesn't he come out?" I asked.

"I expect he likes his privacy. Maybe he's getting some sleep? Meditating? Jacking off? Who knows." Gall said.

"It seemed like you knew him. Who is he?"

"He's Master Rain of Fantuan." Gall said.

"More I don't know?" I asked leadingly.

Gall leaned back, rested his head on a cushion and closed his eyes in a way that made it seem like it was something he had done a lot, though it was the first time I had seen him do it. He had made a habit of using the absolute fewest possible words in our conversations and words only when a shrug or tilt of the head wouldn't do.

"As the Jedi used to say, 'The Force has many names.' There are many groups, Orders, tribes and others in the galaxy that use the Force. I am of the Wakan. Rain is of the Masters of Fantuan. In the past, we kept a low profile because if we got in the Jedi's way, well, I could take a Jedi in single combat, but they could send five, ten, fifty, if we challenged them. I'm sure the Masters of Fantuan felt more or less the same."

"But you seemed to know him. Do you two have some sort of history?" I asked amazed at the long, clear answer.

"Not so long ago we had a feud." Gall said.

"A feud," I asked surprised, "over what?"

"What are these things always about. There was a girl. A brother Mila Hanska was traveling in space. We encourage that. Follow where the Great Spirit guides you. Learn about the galaxy, bring the knowledge and experience home. This brother traveled through Zhonghuan space. He met a princess. He fell in love, lust, something with her. It seemed she liked him back. He grabbed her and ran home. The Emperor of Zhonghua screamed to the Masters of Fantuan. The Masters came looking."

"Was she really a princess?" I asked.

"Hmm, who knows? To hear my brothers speak of it around the Council Fire, she was the first-born child of the Emperor and earmarked to be the first ever female to inherit the throne. I don't know if that's true. I've studied it a bit. You know the Emperor of Zhonghua sleeps with a new different virgin every night, and that's if he's not feeling playful. Most of these girls, they get one night and then get shipped off to a harem for the rest of their lives. Sometimes, when he wants to reward someone, or make some sort of alliance, he'll give one of these girls away and call her a 'princess.'"

"So, which is it?" I asked.

"The truth, which you would probably never have gotten, died with that brother. Regardless, it was a huge insult to the Emperor. The Masters came, sought out the Mila Hanska and duels commenced. Master Thunder and I dueled, he lost. Master Lightning found the responsible brother, killed him and took the girl, pregnant, back. We got ready to go and get the girl and the baby back. Then something funny happened."

"What?" I prodded.

"The Lo Pan sent the baby boy back."

"The who?"

"The Lo Pan is the Master of their Order. Beneath him, the most powerful is Master Lightning, then Master Rain and finally Master Thunder. Maybe that's all there is, maybe there are more beneath them. I don't know. If you want to know more, you could knock on the Shuttle door."

"So, what happened to the feud?"

"That pretty much ended it. We're not idiots. One of ours had clearly given insult by stealing the girl. My defeat of Thunder meant we were not humiliated. With the brother who kidnapped the girl dead, it wasn't so wrong that she should go back. Only the baby would have dragged us to Fantuan. When they gave back the baby, they must have had to drag him from her arms, we had no more cause to fight. We could have made a fuss about the brother who had died, but he had committed offense, he'd had a chance to defend his actions in honorable single combat and had failed. From what I know of the Zhonghuans, they're not much for half breeds, so giving the baby back maybe wasn't so hard for them. If the positions had been reversed, we wouldn't have given the baby back, so maybe they have something on us. I'll also point out, if that baby was truly the grandchild of the Emperor, I'd be surprised if they were willing to cough him up.

"Whatever, but with the baby back, neither side seemed to have much reason to continue so it ended there. There was no formal end and we both have the others blood on our hands. I'm sure Master Rain knows that I am the one who did for his brother Thunder. I would imagine he wouldn't mind seeing me not make it through this thing. I don't hate him as much as I hate Master Lightning, but if Rain never made it home, my heart wouldn't break."

We came out of hyperspace at that moment. There was a battle in space and we could see a furious battle on the planet's surface as well. The battle seemed to be taking place just to the west of the location of the, now ruined, Hutt's palace.

Gall invited Master Rain out of his Shuttle and he came. We reviewed the situation and Gall said, pointing to the east of the Palace, "We can slip in here, get into the palace, and take a look around."

Master Rain and I nodded.

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	14. Chapter 14

**Legend of the Harp**

 **Episode I: Birth of a Jedi**

 **Chapter 14: Diplomat**

***Jedi Knight Jors Zaemon, Dandoran***

"I'll try diplomacy, but if it doesn't work, I want the planet." Furry said in that flat, menacing tone he had developed since he apparently became some sort of nano-creature.

"Well, let's just try diplomacy first." I replied.

I knew we had a variety of cards up our sleeves and we were hardly helpless. At the same time, I knew about a million things that could go wrong. Having seen a lot of combat, I knew firsthand how many ways things could go wrong.

We had flown into Dandoran space together. Furry in his "Revenge" and us in the Bearer. We had docked and Furry came over. Furry's new friend would keep a low profile in Revenge and Furry would fly down with us. Bearer's Vultures would stay top side with Revenge. Couldn't do that with humans in fighters, but droids would be happy to stay sitting there in hard vacuum on Revenge's upper deck indefinitely.

Furry had come over with pictures. Korpluck looked like it was in good shape.

"We'll go in, just you and me Furry. We'll leave Bayo and Fio on the ship." I said.

"That sounds good to me, but I think Shield should come with us." He replied.

Furry's spooky robot was with him as well.

"Fine." I answered.

I didn't like leaving Shield around Bayo and Fio anyway. There were enough damn droids around as it was.

Fio still was nowhere close to assembling her lightsaber. She had her practice balls. She could move one fist size ball around fairly comfortably. The second was a bit more stiff. The third, not much. But she was making progress. I hoped once we got done with the Hutt, we'd have more time to work together.

With nothing else to stop us, we got a good night's sleep. This was going to be a long day before us, and then we orbited in to land at the Hutt's palace at the beginning of the tenth hour of the day.

We landed outside his front gate and took the lift down.

The Hutt's palace was a huge armorcrete dome with four surrounding armorcrete towers. Each tower had a fairly serious looking gun on it, which could likely be used against ships or ground invaders.

We approached the doors. They appeared to be a tall ornamental arch, opening in the middle, made of some thick durasteel. The doors had heavy durasteel bands which had been highlighted in ever so modest gold.

No one seemed to greet us, so I knocked. For once, I was wearing my gauntlets. I had on the Stage One calf and forearm armor. Well, it looked like Stage One, it had been reworked by Furry's armorer droids so now it had the best solid armor Furry could come up with, and I know how he agonized over it, then a layer of Zillo beast protection as well. I was also wearing the Zillo beast jacket and pants. I had declined to wear the helmet and was wearing a felt hat that was a twin to the wide brimmed, stove pipe hat that Furry was wearing, though I know it had a dose of Zillo beast goodness as well. My pistol was on my hip, for show only, I hoped. My saber was in the map case in the small of my back as usual.

A camera eye popped out and in Huttese asked, "What is your business here?" In a very brusque and rude tone.

I replied, in modestly polite Huttese, "The Hutt asked me to do an errand on his behalf. I have returned with a report."

The camera retracted. A few moments past.

"That's a strange response." Furry said.

"They're figuring out who we are and deciding what to do." I answered.

Finally, the door opened and there stood Digozeev the Devaronian, "Where is the beast? Is it in the ship?"

Since Digozeev had spoken in galactic standard I replied in kind, "It's not in the ship. But I do have some information I think the Hutt would want."

"You no bring the beast, Hutt make you broken, take his remaining anger out on town. Hutt been very patient with you. No hurt town yet. Could lose patience." Digozeev explained.

"That's why I'm here with a report. Wouldn't want the Hutt to think I ran off or was defying him." I answered politely.

"You give me the information. I tell Hutt. You go get beast." Digozeev said.

"It is bad news, but I know what a reasonable and even-tempered sort the Hutt is, so I'll tell you and be on my way. Though I would be willing to tell him myself if you prefer." I replied.

"Maybe better you tell Hutt." Digozeev said.

"Maybe you're right, is he available at the moment? We'd be happy to get this all sorted out right now." I said.

"I take you." Digozeev said.

Digozeev then led us back past a bunch of Gamorrean mercenaries to the throne room. The throne room might have had some barbarian splendor, unfortunately the phony gaudy displays and filth ruined it. There were a number of mercenaries, bounty hunters and assorted low life hangers on around the place.

The Hutt asked in Huttese, "Where is the beast? I have been very patient, but my patience is not unlimited."

"I appreciate your kind patience mighty Hutt." I began in Huttese then continued, "I have faced many dangers on your behalf. My ship has been lost. I and some of my companions have been wounded and one of my companions has died in your service. All for your honor. I do not have the beast, but I know where it is."

"Where is it?" The Hutt asked.

"This man," I said gesturing to Furry, "has it."

Furry bowed ever so slightly.

"Give it to me." The Hutt said.

"I'm hardly likely to give up the beast to a lowlife gangster like you. Probably just so you can give it back to the Empire for a few Credits." Furry said.

I wanted to put my face in my hand. We had figured the Hutt was trying to recover the creature for the Empire, but if we asked nice, we might have been able to figure out what the Empire was offering and match it in some way. Okay, maybe not the best plan, as there would be nothing to stop the Hutt from taking the money and then still demanding the beast, but it was at least worth a try. I had no idea why Furry had been so rude!

"Give it to me and I will not torture the two of you to death." The Hutt said.

"Belike the price of a Jackal's meal were more than a thief could pay." Furry said.

Why was Furry quoting classics now!

"Take them! We will torture what we want out of them!" The Hutt bellowed.

Two blasts, a split second faster than my lightsaber could be in my hand came from recessed holes in the wall. Luckily, Shield was a split second faster than they were and had a deflector shield up around us and the blasts were dispersed without harm.

Then my saber was in my hand and Furry's sabers were in his. As I began to deflect shots away, I noticed that Furry had one double green saber and one double blue. On his double blue, one could really see the new Kyber crystal, I had never seen a darker blue saber. Kind of cool.

It took me a few shots, but then I was deflecting bolts back into the crowd. Furry started by doing that while he shot one of the hole shooters with a third arm and Shield shot the other. Then Shield started unloading rapid-fire on the crowd like a destroyer. There was a lot of screaming and running. Not everyone in that throne room was a hardened killer and many of those that were, were not there to die for the Hutt.

I felt the floor shake, then roll and heard the echoes of huge explosions from outside.

The room was mostly empty, and the Hutt's pedestal started to back away.

"No, no, no." Furry said and grabbed the pedestal with the Force, dragged it back forward clearly breaking the thing's motivator unit. A stream of smoke began to come out the side.

I could hear blaster fire coming from the entrance. Bayo led in a detachment of Commando droids, clearly painted in Furry's colors with a Harp on the right shoulder and upper left chest of each. Bayo was wearing what looked like his Phase II armor. It had the same forest green highlights and demi-cape. I knew Furry's armorer droids had breathed on it.

Furry looked at me.

With a bit of exasperation, I turned to Bayo, "Captain remain here with us. Have the soldiers sweep the palace. Kill everything, but what's in the dungeon. Bring any other Hutts alive here."

Furry and I had discussed this eventuality. Bayo went back and gave orders and the droids marched off.

One could hear blaster fire elsewhere.

We turned back to the Hutt.

Furry began, "I don't want to be at war with you or your kind. It's not convenient. Do you think you could see your way clear that we could come to some sort of terms where we could have peaceful coexistence?"

"You will be punished for this outrage!" The Hutt bellowed.

We stood and stared at each other for a while. I'd never seen such an angry Hutt. Then droids brought in cages holding three Hutt females and a number of spawn.

"Are you sure of that?" Furry asked again.

"My wives, my children, release them immediately!" The Hutt screamed desperately.

"If we can't come to terms, I don't really need to have them, or you, alive. Your death actually makes it easier to come to terms with the other Hutts. Arok has expressed a willingness to smooth things over." Furry said.

"I will negotiate." The Hutt said.

Furry pulled out a holotablet which he used to project a map. Then they negotiated. The Hutt would keep Doran City and the port, which were the only occupied parts of the planet and the only places of value. Furry would get several thousand empty square kilometers to the northeast as well as considerations in orbit and the outer system.

"Generally, you won't know we're here. You'll just have to restrain yourself from bothering us. If there are any issues, I will be happy to negotiate them with you in good faith. If there is a problem we can't resolve, I'll deal with Arok. Do you understand?" Furry finished.

"I understand and accept." The Hutt said.

We looted the Hutt's palace. Any substantial hard currency we took. Anything of real negotiable value, we took. Furry found his accounting work stations and looted his off-world accounts. We also reviewed the Hutt's dungeon. It had a variety of scum. We put them on a cheap speeder with instructions that if they were in Hutt space in a week, they'd be hunted down. We found some decent people, we put them on a nicer speeder, gave them some money and sent them on their way. There were a number of non-sentient monsters, those we euthanized.

Just as we finished sending the last people out, I got a commlink from Fio, "An Imperial Star Destroyer and troop carrier just showed up. There are a lot of Imperial Storm Troopers on the ground. I managed to get airborne before they closed up, I'm in orbit now and there are a lot of TIE fighter's chasing me."

I looked at Furry.

"We were kind of expecting this." He said.

We ran up to the front of the palace to see that the front door had been blown in. The entry hall was full of the carcasses of mercenaries Bayo and the droids had left. As we got outside, one could see the turrets on the four towers had been blasted. Bearer was gone. There were a huge number of Storm Troopers advancing toward us across the open grassy plain. Behind them were two big four-legged Walkers. They reminded me of our six legged tanks, only much bigger, more heavily shielded and much more heavily armed. Hanging low in the sky, was a massive Star Destroyer. At least there were no TIEs, they were up in the sky destroying Bearer and would be down shortly.

Across the space between our forces a clipped, formally accented voice announced, "Lay down your arms or you will be killed."

"Feel like laying down your arms?" I asked.

"Nope." Said Furry.

"How you want to handle this?" I asked.

"I'll take the Walkers. You run the troops. The girls will handle the ships." Furry said.

I didn't like the idea of Fio going up against the Star Destroyer, but she had already probably been killed by the TIE Fighters.

"Okay, let's do it." I said.

Furry and his robot literally lifted off the ground and flew off to the right.

The Storm Troopers were advancing and firing, but their accuracy was terrible. Reminded me of certain clones I'd once commanded. I raised my light saber.

One hundred meters, eighty meters, sixty meters, forty-five meters, thirty meters, my saber went down and the droids, who were well dug into the turf, fired and a huge number of Storm Troopers went down and most of the rest started looking for cover on the pitiless plain. Strangely, Droids were smart enough to be trained a lot like troops. Lots of trigger time and they became more accurate. More training and they learned to take initiative and they learned how to dig in as they were right now.

Suddenly, I was lying on my right side. One of the Walkers had missed just to the left. I had been watching Furry and his droid, they had moved around to the side, faster than the walkers could turn so they could flank. One walker was distracted and trying to turn to keep up, which meant one was blasting the turf trying to dig out our battle droids. The Storm Troopers seemed like they were trying to get reorganized, but they were well within our roughly ninety-meter range and were being shot down mercilessly by the droids. How many times had I seen scenes like this during the Clone Wars. Of course, the Empire was too good to keep clones around as officers and advisors, they would need to learn all the same lessons all over again.

Just then, Furry and his droid caught the right-hand walker and were inside almost immediately. The walker stopped moving for a minute, then it turned and fired on it's neighbor and it was very satisfying to see the left-hand walker's head explode.

I was thinking it might be nice to have that walker since we were still vastly outnumbered. Then Furry and his droid emerged from the walker just as the Star Destroyer blasted it. Then the Star Destroyer started raining down fire on us. The rain of fire provided very effective cover for the still hugely outnumbering us Storm Troopers.

Furry and I retreated into the front door of the palace. Furry sent his droid off. We couldn't communicate with Fio or Sky with the Star Destroyer above us blocking all communication. We hoped we might be able to establish communication if Shield could get out from under and would act as a relay.

***Ti Bault, Hutt's Palace, Dandoran***

Gall, Master Rain and I had found our way in through a back door on the east side of the Hutt's now smoking palace. We had heard the alert to the Empire from the Hutt that rebel Jedi were in his palace. We reconned through the palace as we expected to meet our quarry in the west entry hall. We eyeballed the throne room and saw the Hutt guarded by some commando droids. I could hear the sounds of a crazy battle outside.

***Jedi Knight Furin Kazan, Hutt's Palace, Dandoran***

Jojo and I backed into the entry hall. Jojo's clone friend was on one of the turrets, directing the battle. The Star Destroyer didn't seem interested in blasting the palace out of existence, yet. I was pretty durable, but a blast or two from one of the Star Destroyer's bigger guns could probably get the job done.

We heard something and turned around. There were the two from Aram station and a third, of Zhonghuan extraction if I was seeing him right.

Gall said, "You took my axe. I want it back."

"I'm afraid I don't have it with me." Jojo replied amused.

"Fine. I'll kill you and track it down, killing any who get in my way." Gall replied.

That made Jojo seem much less amused.

"Who's your friend?" Jojo asked.

"Oh, we have not had formal introductions. Master Rain of Fantuan, meet the last two Jedi." Gall introduced.

"It's not really necessary," I said. "We won't know each other long."

"No, we won't." Master Rain replied igniting two swords.

I didn't know if Master Rain's weapons were light sabers, some variant on shock weapons or a completely different technology. They were short, perhaps a meter long and had elaborate decorative handles. I imagined they would be fast. I was not disappointed.

He was so fast.

Of course, my sabers were in my hands. He had speed. I had reach. He had maneuverability. I had more blades. We moved so fast.

***Jedi Knight Jors Zaemon, Hutt Palace, Dandoran***

I could see Furry and Master Rain get going to my right, but I didn't have much time to analyze their fight because Gall was on me.

You'd think a man as big as Gall would be slower, but he was fast. You'd expect him to be strong. You wouldn't be disappointed. He clearly had a spare axe because he had brought it and my belly remembered the knife he wielded with such speed.

I still had reach and this time, I had spent some time thinking about what I might do if I ran into him again. So, I had some moves prepared.

***Ti Bault, Hutt's Palace, Dandoran***

Gall and Master Rain were fully engaged, I backed up and found a place to shoot from. Then I pulled out my rifle.

***Jedi Knight Furin Kazan, Hutt's Palace, Dandoran***

I was pushing Master Rain. He couldn't break my guard and every so often I swiped with one of my lower blades making him hop. The third time he hopped, I was ready. I hit him hard with the Force and a blade against his blades. I expected him to go down hard. Instead he did a series of back flips. I was just about to go after him when someone shot me!

***Jedi Knight Jors Zaemon, Hutt's Palace, Dandoran***

I had a plan for Gall. Move him to his right. When I was on his flank hard enough, I could take the axe and back slash to end this without giving that knife a chance. As he came around to face me again, I moved him again. I'd done it three times, each time getting me further to his flank, I was almost ready to make my move when I tripped over a dead bloody Gamorrean!

***Ti Bault, Hutt's Palace, Dandoran***

It was tricky lining up the shot. I didn't want to shoot Master Rain in the back, at least not till both Jedi were down. There was an opening, I lined up and fired. I got him!

***Jedi Knight Furin Kazan, Hutt's Palace, Dandoran***

Oomph. I'd been shot in the gut. Stingy, but meaningless. I had a second while Master Rain came back. There was Ti. He'd shot me again. I might as well return the favor. I shot him, and he went right down. I should be grateful to Ti, he made me realize right then and there that I was holding myself back. Again. I had wanted to see, for so long, how good was I really? I was holding back like this was a thrice damned sparring match at the Temple, not a street fight to the death. I turned up my pistol, widened out the blast and started shooting at Master Rain. To my surprise, the blasts had no effect, but he threw one of his swords at me with Force improved velocity. I barely deflected it and had to step awkwardly to my right.

Just then a huge series of explosions that just seemed to get louder and louder started outside.

***Jedi Knight Jors Zaemon, Hutt's Palace, Dandoran***

As soon as I tripped, that knife came for my back. Luckily, the knife had a long way to go so I somersaulted forward and came up just in time to parry one of those massive axe blows over my shoulder from my knees.

Only this time I was ready for it. Then a series of ever louder explosions started going off outside.

***Sky, On Revenge, above Dandoran***

I stood before the pilot's control console on Revenge. Somewhere down on the planet my Beloved was fighting for his life and what he believed in. I needed to help him. Normally Changed could sense each other and communicate, in fact, we could not avoid it. Since the Star Destroyer had shut down communications, I could not sense him. It was possible he was dead. I sent the signal.

I watched Bearer blast out of the atmosphere with a host of TIE Fighters on her tail. The Vultures and I launched. I kept a rock between us as I wanted to be on the perfect vector at the perfect moment when Bearer and the TIEs went by. At just the right moment, the Vultures and I slammed perfectly into their flank. We destroyed a huge number of the fragile craft in our first pass and it was enough to scatter the rest.

That gave Bearer time to barrel roll around and go on the attack. Then we were in a cloud of TIEs fighting for our lives. We carried the attack to the TIEs and pressed our attack, but there were just so many of them.

Eventually, it seemed like we would be swamped, our shields and weapon's banks were low. The first Vulture died screaming. A second was in trouble.

Six more ships exploded into the system and they attacked! The pirates were all here!

I engaged the B-Pack!

New energy flowed into Revenge.

I thought we would now have the advantage, but the Imperial forces had been maneuvering twelve TIE Torpedo Bombers into position to take us from the rear. They unleashed their torpedoes on our pirates. Some dodged, some shot the torpedoes down, but several took hits. Pride exploded. Divide was clearly crippled and started diving for the Star Destroyer.

I deployed the Big Gun and said into the commlink, "Vultures and Pirate Two on me. Everyone else, cut us a path."

We all dived into the Star Destroyer. Under normal circumstances, Revenge would be no match for the Star Destroyer. Yes, Revenge was packed tight with all sorts of high tech wonders and kilo per kilo was a much tougher ship, but the Star Destroyer was more than forty times her size. These weren't normal circumstances. The Star Destroyer had put itself at the bottom of a deep gravity well which meant she would have a terrible time maneuvering. She had depended on her cloud of TIEs to be more than a match for us, and they almost were. But too bad for her, they weren't.

Since the Star Destroyer was pinned, I fired the Big Gun and enjoyed watching it hit the Star Destroyer square. The Hammarchi sensors could see that the Star Destroyer's shields had really not liked that. That should have been it for the Big Gun for this battle. Except my Beloved had installed something called the B-Pack.

Revenge, despite being mostly a high-performance warship, still had a substantial cargo hold. That hold was now filled with a single piece of equipment, bespoke fit to fill every square centimeter of that hold, the B- or Battle Pack. My Beloved had found an energizer from the Foreaufai civilization which was much more powerful, but much less fuel efficient in his survey, the B-Pack had one of those. In addition, the B-Pack had a fuel tank and large energy reservoir for the Big Gun. Just as the Star Destroyer was managing to reorient it's shields and turn some guns toward us, I hit it again with the Big Gun and ordered through the commlink, "All torpedoes away."

The seven remaining Vultures fired their fourteen. Bearer fired eight, one of which was an Icer. I fired twelve, one of which was also an Icer. I kept the H-Torpedoes in reserve.

The thirty-two torpedoes went through the big hole in the Star Destroyer's shields and slammed into critical positions on the Star Destroyer I had been preparing while waiting for Bearer to be ready to join battle. The Destroyer was having a very bad time. There was now very little fire from it and it was listing. The crippled Vulture hit it and that didn't help, but I thought she might just still survive. Then Divide slammed into her and her main magazine detonated.

***Jedi Knight Furin Kazan, Hutt's Palace, Dandoran***

I was off balance for a second, but that was all Master Rain needed to call his blade back with the Force and be upon me. But my patience was done. One of his blades hit my lower left side and another my right shoulder. It was irrelevant. I cut him to pieces.

***Captain Bayonet, Hutt's Palace, Dandoran***

Standing on the parapet, it was one last glorious day in the Grand Army of the Republic.

With the Star Destroyer actually out of the battle, I now had some options.

"Mortars fire!"

We were still massively outnumbered, but we did have mortars. If we had fired them with the Star Destroyer above, that would have been giving the Imperials a gift, their counter battery fire would have been the end of that pretty quick. Instead our mortars fell into the enemy and caused terrible casualties as the idea of cover and maneuver still seemed to mean nothing to them.

"Second Force up!" I ordered.

Twelve guard droids salvaged from the Class Four freighters came out from under a turf blanket and opened fire. They were behind and to the right of the main body of Troopers and getting attacked by surprise from behind is something I had learned many times the hard way is bad for morale. It certainly was for these Troopers. Though to give them credit, the Troopers did okay, their grey uniformed officers though, they seemed like a panicky bunch.

The troopers continued to take terrible casualties and looked like they were starting to waver.

"Destroyers forward!"

Twenty Destroyers rolled to the front of my position and started unloading on the poor Storm Troopers who had no good answer, so they broke!

***Jedi Knight Jors Zaemon, Hutt's Palace, Dandoran***

I was on one knee, facing away from Gall and his Axe slammed down and my saber went up to parry. It was like someone hit me on my bare forearms with a durasteel pipe. Pinned as I was, I knew the knife was racing toward my back. However, if Master Windu had taught me anything, a fight like this isn't about weapons, or even technique, it's about one's connection to the Force. I didn't let in fear, I wasn't afraid to die. I let the Force fill me. I used my leg to spin off the ground, which spun me away from Gall's knife and swung my saber to the unprotected back of his axe. My saber went straight through his axe, pretty much ending it and continued down through his left wrist severing his left forearm and the knife from his body. It took a split second for the back cut and we looked each other in the eye for that moment. My saber had already passed through his body and he went down in pieces.

***Sky, On Revenge, above Dandoran***

With the sacrifice of the Divide, the fate of the Star Destroyer was sealed. There was a long set of sympathetic explosions resulting in the ship going nose down into the planet. I peeled up with the Vultures and Bearer behind me. Some of the TIEs tried to engage me, but they badly misjudged how fast I could go so their vector was bad. They paid dearly for that. They were clearly becoming aware that their guarantee of victory had now crashed into the planet and they started to panic and run.

"Pirate Two go pick up our friends. Everyone else, clear the sky!"

And that's what we did.

***Captain Bayonet, Hutt's Palace, Dandoran***

The destroyers rolled into them, then stopped and opened fire. With the pressure from all directions, they were wavering. Then the two Jedi came out. That was it, they broke and ran.

Then Bearer came down and landed. There was a lot of gathering up broken droids and discarded Imperial equipment. We all loaded up and it was crowded, like it had been coming in, but we all fit. It was something of a surprise that Shield came up, carrying a well trussed Ti Bault.

***Jedi Knight Furin Kazan, Hutt's Palace, Dandoran***

I walked up to the Hutt again.

"I know you summoned the Imperials." I began.

It was funny watching him pretend innocence.

"How does this normally go? I call it 'Treachery' and kill you and your family."

A Hutt's eyes are normally so big, but this one's were really saucers.

"I'm going to leave for a bit. Then the Imperials will be here very shortly. They will give you a lesson in why you don't want to call them again. If you live, I think we'll have the basis of coexistence. Of course, if you ever call the Imperials on me or mine again, you're dead. You do understand that?"

It nodded.

"I think if I spare you now, you'll be happy to uphold our already negotiated agreement?" I asked.

It nodded vigorously.

I was tempted to charge it protection as a punishment. However, we were in Hutt space. I needed an arrangement with one of these creatures if my plan was to work. I had spoken with Arok. He was my backup plan, but this one would be better. It was weak and scared. But if I pushed him too hard, he might just make a stupid decision later.

"Good. The agreement stands. I'll see you sometime soon." I replied and left.

***Ti Bault, Hutt's Palace, Dandoran***

I was sitting on the ground well trussed up with a bag on my head.

"I really think we ought to talk." Someone said sitting down near me.

I said some things, but they came out, "Mmmph mmmph mmmph," through the hood.

He pulled the hood off.

"You!" I said. It was the green coat Jedi.

"Yes me, we should talk."

"About what?" I asked.

"You were a bounty hunter working for the Trade Federation, I could understand that. But then you worked so hard to help ImpSec. Why?"

"I assume it was you who ruined my position with the Trade Federation." I said.

"Yes. So, it was for revenge?" He inquired.

"I figured if I caught you and brought you in, I could get my job back." I said.

"You were doing this for a job?"

"Yes."

"Couldn't you just get another job? I imagine they would find something for you back on Corollon?"

"Since the TradeFed was seeking me, no one else would hire me. I could have retreated to Corollon, but I wouldn't get anything with the prestige I had at the Trade Federation. Also, even if the Corollon authorities accepted me, TradeFed bounty hunters would be on the way."

"You could have changed your identity?" He pointed out.

"Yes, but I had worked hard on that identity. I'd suffered a lot to get to that job. Trade Federation Head of Security was in sight. You took all that from me."

"So, this was all about a job." He asked surprised.

"Yes, a job that meant a life." I closed my eyes, "A job that meant I had been a success in life. Achieved some prestige. Had respect."

"Well, that life is gone. You're very wanted by the TradeFed and ImpSec now. I'd recommend not showing your face in a civilized system ever again."

"I know."

"There is still someone out there who knows and respects your work and would want to hire you though."

"Who?"

"Me."

"You?"

"Yes, I need good people who I can trust. I think that's you. There's not as much glamour as that TradeFed Head of Security, but the hours and pay are better." He offered.

"What would the pay be?" I asked.

"It seems to me you don't have much room to negotiate. However," and he pulled out a holotablet, did some pecking on it and showed it to me. "That is what the TradeFed Head of Security makes."

It was a lot, but less than you would think. It made sense though, those TradeFed bastards are a cheap bunch.

"I'll pay you double. We'll keep track of his pay, make sure you keep pace, but you'll likely stay ahead since I'm into raises and bonuses."

"What about my identity?" I asked.

"We'll get you a new identity. A little work and you'll pass as human and fool the facial recognition cameras."

"That seems like a better deal than I'm likely to get anywhere else, I'll take it." I said with real sincerity.

"I'm glad you feel that way." He said and started to undo my bonds.

***Jedi Knight Furin Kazan, Hutt's Palace, Dandoran***

We couldn't go back to Dandoran for a while. The Imperials came in vast numbers. I think the Emperor's hound, Darth Vader, and a phalanx of his "Inquisitors" were there as well. I'm sure they found my three calling cards in Gall's pocket and the fresh one I had left there with Gall and Master Rain's corpses.

Surviving Troopers and TIE fighters were gathered up and rescued. There was lots of huffing about while poking and prodding. I knew they gave the Hutt a hard time. I figured they would spare the Hutt though because he had _called_ them. Also, the Empire knew killing the Hutt would antagonize the other Hutts and they had other fish to fry. I figured that the Hutt would be smart enough to hide our agreement as the second the Imperials found out about it, he would be tortured to death in the off chance he knew any other morsel of useful information. I was right. The Hutt definitely learned he didn't like having the Imperials around. After a week, the vast majority of the Imperials were gone. In a month, all the rest. All that was left were various droid monitoring stations. A few months of the expensive monitoring gear getting vandalized over and over and nothing coming back, they gave up.

While that was happening, I met with my surviving pirate captains on Elysia.

"I can't thank you enough for showing up. I thought we had enough, obviously we didn't. You saved us. Unfortunately, it was at the cost of the lives of two crews. None of us will ever forget their sacrifice. The rest of you have damage. However, at this time, I can't send you to Corellia-space for repairs. Some of you may have noticed, the political situation there is getting worse by the hour. I'm working on another solution."

I tried to hand out new chips with payment, Captain Mel closed my hand on the chip and said, "We didn't do that for money."

"Do you all feel that way?" I said looking around

They all nodded.

"I'm honored and grateful."

I took that visit to have another sit down privately with Captain Crosby.

"This may seem like something I'm only offering because of the Divide. It's not. I've had some time to think and I've come up with some ideas."

"For Die Tze?" Captain Crosby asked.

"Yes."

"Okay, let's hear 'em."

"As I understand it, the rest of the planet's military is interned on Die Tze." I began.

"Yes." The Captain replied.

"We sneak in. We break them out. Maybe liberate some more ships. Maybe not. The ones who want to leave, we'll have a place for them to go soon. The one's who want to stay and fight, we support and smuggle in weapons and equipment for. Those that stay and fight, maybe they accumulate a popular resistance and make staying on Die Tze so expensive the Empire eventually decides to leave. Maybe they all die. Either way, a lot of them will die. Is that a plan you can live with? Do you have something better?"

"Yes and no."

"So, we should be ready in a few months. Let me know if you think of anything better."

***Jedi Knight Jors Zaemon, Aboard Bearer***

Furry and I had another sit down with Fio.

"You did very well in that battle Padawan. Good work."

"I could probably do more if I could get my light saber to work." She said with some frustration.

"You must trust yourself and the Force. When you're ready. You'll be ready."

"I know." She said with acceptance.

"Something else has changed."

"What?" She asked.

"It's about your Mother."

"What? Is she all right?" She asked with some alarm.

"As far as we know, aside from being worried about you, she's fine. You agreed, when we next get to Korpluck City, you would be willing to separate from her forever."

"Yes." She answered a bit confused.

"Do you still feel that way?"

"Yes." She answered still a bit confused.

"Practical considerations have changed things again. We intend to make Dandoran and Korpluck Town a major base. As such, we'll likely be there frequently."

"So, I'll still get to see my Mom?" She said.

"Yes."

A few weeks after the last actual Imperial personnel left Dandoran, in a nice window created by the Imperial equipment being vandalized. Again. We went back to Dandoran.

We escorted Fio to her Mom's shop. Her Mom didn't stop crying for half an hour, and that was just from how much she had been worried and missing her little girl. We sat on the porch, ate pie and drank tea.

Then when Fio explained she would be staying with us and learning the ways of the Force, her Mom started crying again. Fio promised to visit and her Mom settled down. It wasn't perfect, but I suspect whatever became of the Order would have to be a bit more flexible. At least for the first thousand years or so. The Widow Brown would have to accept that her daughter, had she been successful and accepted for an off-world scholarship would be offering essentially similar terms. I'm sure that didn't make it easy. Her Mom liked all the presents Fio had brought, but particularly the small, high-end, commercial grade cook/housekeeping droid.

***Jedi Knight Furin Kazan, Korpluck Town, Dandoran***

It was nice to sit with Jojo on the porch.

Jojo looked at me and said, "Two crews died. There might have been a more diplomatic solution.

"Not one where the Hutt didn't sell us out later to the Imperials. I didn't anticipate the Star Destroyer. I figured on one to three Light Cruisers. So, I made a mistake.

"I suppose we could have just said, 'The beast is not on Eadu. We have no idea where it is. Unless you can give us some idea where to look, we're just wasting everyone's time. Here's your money back, leave Korpluck Town alone.' Then when he agreed, we would just go."

With a bit of frustration Jojo said, "Yes you could have done something like that and no one would have had to die."

"We have to take risks. There is no absolute guarantee that in the end the Empire has to be defeated. I didn't intend for those crews to die, but we needed a base in Hutt space and we may need more later before this is done. If we keep carrying the fight to the Empire, a lot of people will die, and we won't always win. We could find a place to hide out. I'm sure we could stay at the New Temple and just sneak out every so often for consumables. Probably do fine. The problem with that is a place called Mustafar."

"Mustafar, what's that?" Jojo asked genuinely confused.

"It's where the Empire takes Jedi they capture to be tortured to death. I hear it's a busy place. They're clearly doing better tracking down our colleagues than we are. I believe we have to take the fight to the Empire whenever and wherever we can. I will always try to balance every plan so we have as few casualties as possible, but there will be casualties, and as our numbers grow, so will the casualties. However, if you prefer to hide in anonymity, we will."

With some resignation Jojo agreed, "No, we have to take the fight to the Empire. I agree with that. It's just I've already had a belly full of war. We'll do it your way, but you have to be willing to use to diplomacy when it's a better tool."

"That's fair. After Fio is done, we have some diplomacy to do. Didn't you always want to be in the Diplomatic Corp?"

That made him laugh a bit, "Yeah I did."

We went and had a talk with the head of Korpluck's operations on Dandoran and his boss. They agreed quickly to the idea of moving the plant as that would mean they would no longer have to pay the Hutt or face interference from him. We would also give them a prime piece of real estate next to the new mini-star port we were building.

I brought in top of the line construction droids and equipment. We built a high quality paved road from Doran City one hundred klicks north east to the new town we were building.

We picked out a nice big spot with hills to the southwest, forests and mountains to the east and a big beautiful lake to the north. We would build the star port and industrial park about ten klicks to the west. Then join it to the town with a road and magtrain. We built a whole magtrain system, with a central station in the middle of the town connecting to the industrial park and four short spoke lines running northeast, southeast, southwest and northwest to make sure we had plenty of room in the town. We also made sure there were plenty of paved roads as well.

Unlike the wooden shacks in the current Korpluck Town, we started building homes that would be high galactic standard dome structures and would be made of FormCrete with high-quality comfortable amenities. Everyone currently living in Korpluck town would get a new home in approximately the same position as they currently lived. Stores would get free new locations of roughly the same size and amenities, though generally, like the homes, scaled up and nicer. We would still have the market, but the market sheds would be substantially nicer and surround the central train station in town.

Korpluck moved what they could move and built a new, much bigger facility as the first tenants of the industrial park. Next to the park we had four big landing pads and top of the line facilities built for loading and unloading.

New Korpluck Town would now have parks, a community center and Dandoran's first medical clinic. Old Korpluck Town had a one room, dirt floor school. The new school facility would be substantially nicer.

When the day came, everyone got moved out of Old Korpluck Town and up to New Korpluck town. I made a point of being present. I'd built a large villa as a residence on one of the hills to the southwest with an excellent view of the town and the lake beyond. It was a good day. The residents of Old Korpluck Town were all very happy with their new larger, more luxurious homes and nicer community. They were also a little confused as they took up less than ten percent of the land in New Korpluck Town. Of course, building continued.

We moved Jotun, his shipyard, his workers and their families out of Corellia-space quietly next. I became a limited partner in the business by virtue of investing to get his shipyard expanded and some new top-of-the-line tooling. The shipyard had quarters and runabouts and was located in an empty orbit well out from Dandoran. The families and workers would be settled in New Korpluck Town.

As soon as we had him settled, I started bringing in my pirates for repairs.

My droids and I went looking and found a nice big two-thousand-meter rock with lots of nickel-iron. We put it in orbit near a big gas giant in Dandoran system that would make it hard to find and a pain to attack. It would have lots of blaster cannon, torpedo launchers and heavy shields on top of deep rock. No nut is too tough to crack, but we made it pretty hard. The Rock, as it was dubbed, would have large docks, shops, armories, arsenals, quarters, control centers, large medical facilities, mess facilities, training space and very deep stores of supplies so that it could withstand sieges for years. I had twenty-four of the X-Wings delivered there and ferried the other six to the New Temple. I ordered fifty more, two in the T-66 trainer configuration. Word was, orders might soon pick up, Incom was in negotiations with several other interested buyers.

I told Jotun to make another B-Pack to keep on the Rock.

We took Master Rain's two sword hilts and, pointing them in opposite directions, tied them together with ribbon. We assembled Gall's two axes and knife in the same way.

"Time for a bit more diplomacy." I said to Jojo.

We traveled to Fantuan on Revenge. I had left the B-Pack at the New Temple and had reloaded up her torpedo bays. With two more Vultures down, we ran a new tournament. It would be interesting to see if training worked. Surprisingly, eight completely different Vultures won the new tournament. We split them between Bearer and Revenge by random chance.

We arrived at Fantuan and landed near the palace that housed the Masters. Jojo and I were given entry and shown to the Lo Pan, the Master of their Order. On his right side was Master Lightning and on his left was Master Thunder. Behind him were many young acolytes, some I could tell had affinity for the Force and most did not.

I presented the hilts to the Lo Pan. "I believe these are the property of your Order."

"Where is his body?" the Lo Pan asked.

"It is in the possession of the Imperials. I am sure that if they hold your Order in high regard, they have returned it already."

It was clear they had not.

"What do you hope to gain by returning these blades?"

"We wish to leave your Order alone and treat it with respect. However, we can't have your Order accepting requests from the Sith to hunt down Jedi. For a thousand years the Jedi respected your Order and your Order respected the Jedi. I hope it was not opportunism that bent your honor, or Credits, or worst of all, hope of currying favor with the Sith."

In fact, I knew it was exactly these three things that had brought Master Rain out. It was a well understood Truism that there was no currying favor with the Sith, they saw only things they could use and obstacles. I was sure the Lo Pan knew that Truism well.

The Lo Pan looked down.

"Wise voices suggested coming here with force. Attacking your Order with violence. Add more trophies to those blades in our Temple. I said we could speak and that you would be honorable. That you would honor the ancient peace between our Orders if we treated you with respect. Was I right?"

"You were right."

We bowed and took our leave.

We had a visit with the Wakan, it went surprisingly similarly.

The day came a few months later, a fleet of eight Star Destroyers entered Corellia-space. The fleet disgorged an endless cloud of TIEs and did a high orbit parade around Corellia Prime, pointedly not accepting orders from Space Route Traffic Control and requiring SRTC to re-direct traffic around them.

The newly elevated Grand Moff Tarkin, leader of the fleet, was warmly greeted by the Corellian Prime Minister. The meeting was widely broadcast on the HoloNets interrupting regular broadcasts. Only the truly hopelessly naïve, stupid and ignorant did not know what this visit was about. Even the choice of Tarkin, Scourge of Salient, to lead the fleet was a message. It was Salient's efforts to assert her legal rights that had led to Tarkin savaging the system.

I had already shut down my offices and shipping dock on Upsalon.

The Corellian Guard Fleet was made up heavily of Corvettes in many different varieties. The Corvette is a cost effective, very flexible, very capable for it's size warship and a popular export all over the galaxy. It would have been typical of the size of capital ships up to the Clone Wars where new classes of ships hopelessly dwarfed them. Still they had a place as escort ships and CEC promotional materials claimed enough of them could go toe to toe with the new larger capital ships that had emerged. The CGF had a wide variety of them including the larger Command and more heavily armed DP-2 Frigate variants. There were also a large number of the smaller PB-950 Gunboats. The fleet was led by a handful of the rapidly aging Proficient Class cruisers.

In a pre-planned step, coordinated first by Jotun, then Captain Thomas and the other crews of the Hope fleet and also Captain Pagot and his associates, families and possessions tramped into warships, and Hope ships, and a small space station filling them to the brim. Four Hope ships latched onto the station, the other Hope ships carrying disposable single-use arks that allowed a lot more people and possessions to be packed and then all Hope ships, the station and about a third of the CGF, newly rechristened the Corellian Patriotic Fleet hyper-spaced out to Dandoran.

We put the station into geosynchronous orbit above New Korpluck Town which meant it was above Doran City as well. The station had grav-tugs, so it could run cargoes up and down which immediately made Korpluck about twice as profitable. I was the first new tenant of the station permanently renting a docking port and bay. Hope Transport was the second, they also leased a docking port and much larger cargo bay. The station contracted with Hope for fuel runs. That meant Corbeen went and started looking for a fuel tanker attachment for the IXp3.

We began settling the Corellians into New Korpluck Town. Mostly in the Southeast sector of the city. Many were military personnel who would continue to man the ships. They held a meeting which Jojo and I observed but did not participate in. At the meeting, they held a vote and Captain Pagot was elected to be Admiral of the new Corellian Patriotic Fleet. I had expected Captain Pagot to reconstitute High Reaches Flight School on the station. Plans change. Now Admiral Pagot would be taking up residence on the Rock. The families started getting settled in Korpluck town. They opened their own businesses, restaurants, tailors, shops and my favorite gunsmith, I was gratified to see, had chosen to join us among many others. I also knew this was hard on them. Corbeen, Jotun and his brothers had come with their families. But their sister, her still enlisted husband and their children stayed.

I stood on the rooftop terrace of our hilltop villa, surrounded by friends, Jojo, Fio, Bayo, Shield and Sky. I looked at the new town taking shape. It was fragile, the Empire could show up tomorrow with a big fleet and an army and smash everything we built to smithereens. For now, though, she represented our hopes and living, breathing proof the Empire could not take our freedom away.

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